Crazier than a Circus
by Agent Author
Summary: Dedicated to S.L. Della Robbia. This is the story of Renata Staccato, a Sicilian adolescent who has come to Paris in search of new experiences. She isn't disappointed when she's mixed up with the Lyoko warriors! Odd/OC, Y/U, J/A. Rated K 'cause the show is, not a one-shot, no slash, R&R.
1. Cord Creature

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm Agent Author and I am back from the grave to begin a new fanfic in a new archive! **

**Discalimer: I do not own Code Lyoko. I would have to be fluent in French to accomplish that, and I'm taking Spanish. I own Renata Staccato and those related to her.**

**Very Late Disclaimers: I never said it in my past FanFictions, but I don't own Lord of the Rings, Professor Layton, The Addams Family, or Animal Crossing. I own Sheathera Grincarve and those related to her. I also own LaLa.**

…

Renata layered her hands above her head in concentration, narrowing her eyes at the several mats laid out before her. The shrill ring of a silver whistle ripped through the gymnasium like a gunshot triggering the beginning of a race. Before she knew it, Renata's tight torso was quickly towering over her long legs in preparation for a frontward flip. Her palms absorbed the cool mat and, with the aid of her wrists, boosted her aerodynamic body into the air. She executed one, two, three full twists before landing perfectly on the balls of her feet. Another ring of the whistle fired through the room, ending Renata's session.

"Alright, Staccato, that was your best session yet!" Jim congratulated, patting the panting girl on the back.

"Yeah, Ren!" Odd cheered, "That was awesome! I didn't even know you were so agile!" In response to this, Renata "lightly" punched Odd in the arm. "Ow! Hey, that was a compliment!" Odd had quite the talent for pushing people's buttons.

Ulrich rolled his eyes before offering a hand to Renata for a high-five. "You were alright, Sis." Renata tousled Ulrich's hair in annoyance at her nickname.

They, of course, weren't really related, but they sure did look the part. They were roughly the same height and shared the same chocolate brown eyes and dark brown hair, Renata always wearing hers in a tight ponytail. Something that couldn't go unnoticed between them was their physiques; one time, they had competed in an arm wrestle and neither got anywhere near conquering each other, though Renata was definitely more of, as Odd said, a "health maniac." They also had the uncanny ability to finish each other's sentences, if not say them in sync.

They were also very similar personality-wise. They both had tough exteriors and softer interiors. Renata's wit was legendarily unmatchable, but this was because she was naturally protective and often denied having a soft side for anything that didn't concern her friends or family, especially her seven-year-old sister.

"Thanks, guys," said Renata, "Hey, where are Jeremie and Yumi?"

"Oh, Einstein's preventing some demonic artificial intelligence of a high-tech supercomputer from conquering the world," Odd said goofily, putting his elbow on Renata's shoulder. In saying that, he earned a glare and a hit on the back of the head from Ulrich. This confused Renata. Even though her friends were often making references to a supercomputer and some evil virus, it still piqued her suspicion, as did their constant class-cutting and behavior that implied that the world was going to end.

"Okay, as long as he's back by dinner," Renata said cautiously, "What about Yumi?"

Ulrich said "Studying." at the same time Odd said "Walking." Renata raised an eyebrow at this.

"She's, uh, walking and studying at the same time," Odd explained.

"Mm hm," Renata murmured, slowly picking Odd's elbow off her shoulder.

A beeping noise sounded, revealing its owner as Ulrich's cell phone. He answered it. "Jeremie? …I'm right there." He put his phone back into his pocket. "I, uh, have to go, guys. Odd, you should just… stay here."

"Aye aye, Captain Bossiness," Odd agreed, saluting Ulrich as he darted out of the gymnasium.

"What was all that about?" Renata inquired.

Odd opened his mouth to explain, but the ring of his phone interrupted him. "Ulrich? I thought- Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll be right there." He put his phone away and gave Renata an apologetic look. "Sorry, Ren, but whatever it is, I have to be there, too."

"Should I come?" asked Renata.

"No," Odd said quickly, "Please, just go somewhere and stay there, preferably with a lot of other people, like some teachers or something."

"Odd, you-" Renata began, only to be interrupted.

"I know, I'm not explaining anything," Odd finished for her, "But _please, _just trust me on this, okay?"

"Okay," Renata sighed.

"Thanks," said Odd. He looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He sprinted out of the gymnasium at a surprising speed.

Renata bit the inside of her cheek in annoyance as she made her way to the girls' locker room to change into her regular clothes. As she peeled off her dark green exercise pants and dark red t-shirt, her mind strayed to her family back in Sicily, especially her younger sister. How was little Lucia holding up on her own, without her big sister to protect her? How were Mamma and Papà running the family business?

She slipped her dark green cargo pants onto her legs, fastening them at her waist. She put on her classic layered shirts: a dark green, long-sleeved shirt under a dark red, short-sleeved shirt. She tied the laces of her red sneakers before retying her ponytail, gathering up her things in her brown messenger bag, and heading outside.

The second the fresh air met her nose, Renata's moment of peace was interrupted by the smell of bad perfume. That cheap aroma could only be emitting from Sissi Delmas.

"Oh, how sad!" Sissi purred when her eyes fell on Renata, "A little girl left all alone! What happened now, Regina?"

"_Renata," _the Italian corrected.

"Right, right," Sissi said, "But I believed I asked you a question."

"No, you asked Regina a question," Renata replied, turning on her heel, "And frankly, Renata wants to scrunch you into a wad, flush you down the toilet, and pray that you don't clog the pipes."

"Always full of comebacks, huh?" Sissi asked, "Is that to shield the pain you're feeling from the abandonment of your so-called friends?"

"No," Renata deadpanned, "It's to shield myself from you completely. Sissi, if you hate me so much, why don't you just avoid me? That's the Sicilian way!"

"You're not in Mexico, Renata," Sissi reminded, "You're in France."

Renata couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Sissi, Sicily is in Italy, not Mexico. I swear, if you didn't live here, you'd think Paris was the capital of England!"

"I didn't come here to get a geography lesson from you," Sissi growled, "I came here to make a deal-"

"You leave me alone, I leave you alone," Renata intervened, "Sounds good to me." She would have begun to walk away, but movement in the ground interrupted her footsteps. She turned around, completely confused. "What the…?"

"Eek!" Sissi squealed in terror.

"Ah!" Herb and Nicholas yelled. **(Quick A/N: I'm saying Herb, not Hervé. It changes from Herb to Hervé on the show, kind of like the nurse's name changes from Dorothy to Yolanda.) **

Standing before the four of them was, without a doubt, one of the strangest creatures Renata had ever seen. It was entirely made up of power cables, blue electric currents coursing along the exteriors of the woven cords. The entire body twitched in overwhelming power.

Sissi shivered in fear and darted behind Herb, who threw himself behind Nicholas. Renata rolled her eyes and jumped in front of all of them, pushing them back. As mentioned before, she was just naturally protective, no matter who she was with.

On instinct, she grabbed a broken-off pipe conveniently laying the ground, taking half of a second to marvel at her luck. The cord monster swung an arm at the group, only to be whacked away by Renata's pipe. She lunged at the creature, swinging the heavy roll of metal at it.

After sweeping the monster onto its back, Renata looked back at the people cowering in fear and fighting for spots behind each other.

"Hey!" she barked, "Are you just going to wait for bugs to fly into your mouths?!" She tossed the other pipes at her "friends" and grabbed an extra one for herself. "Come on!"

The four set to work immediately. Renata fought feverishly, Herb clumsily, Nicholas idiotically, and Sissi cowardly.

The energy was pumped out of all four of them rather quickly, and the monster had only been faking its lack of power. It immediately knocked the group to the ground. As expected, Renata stood back up, badly bruised, while the others remained sprawled on the ground. She coughed, the wind knocked out of her chest.

"Hey, is that all you got?" she taunted, holding the pipes above her head. In immediate response, the monster wrapped several cords around her waist and hoisted her off of the ground. "Whoa!" She fumbled with the several cables that were stealing her breath. "Hey, let me go!"

The bundle of cords launched Renata high into the air.

"NOT WHAT I MEEEEAANT!" Renata yelled, her arms and legs springing rapidly in all directions. She looked down; she was at least twenty-five feet in the air. Taking in a sharp breath, she angled the pipes in her hands in an aerodynamic way. Her body was soon spiraling toward the monster, which she stabbed with the pipes. They both fell to the ground, in a heap, Renata exhaustedly lying next to the monster. More cords snaked themselves around Renata's upper body, this time binding her arms to her sides.

The cord creature gathered itself up and raised Renata up as far as it could reach. Blue currents of electricity shot from the cables and into the Italian's body. She grunted and screamed in pain, arching her back. The hundreds of volts struck her body without mercy. She felt nothing but pure agony.

She was suddenly released from the cord creature's grip and dropped to the ground, the wind once again knocked out of her chest.

"You guys keep it busy!" a high-pitched, yet masculine voice instructed. Renata felt a hand on her shoulder and winced. "You okay, Ren?"

With great effort, Renata opened her eyes, which focused on Odd's concerned face looking down at her.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Renata grunted, swatting Odd's hand away when he offered help. A pang of recurring electricity shot between her shoulders and her back arched.

"You don't look too good," Odd remarked slowly and quietly. He knew very well that he was crossing into dangerous territory. Renata hated being in pain because of her love for pushing herself and her hatred for looking weak.

"I'm _fine," _Renata barked, "I'm just a little…"

"-electrocuted?" Odd finished snappily for her, "Come on, just let me help you. You're in pretty bad shape."

"Odd, I- Behind you!" Renata yelled, shoving Odd to the side as a thick bundle of cords almost whipped him. Instead, they hit Renata, sending more electricity into her body, which jerked around on the ground before becoming completely limp.

"Renata!" Odd yelled, "Hey, you bundle of cables! How about you pick on someone your own size?"

"Odd, that makes no sense," Renata pointed out weakly, "I mean… you're shorter than me…"

"Something nobody lets me forget," Odd grumbled, pipes in hands and running at the monster. Renata chuckled slightly, letting her head fall to the ground.

The four people around her were still fighting in vain, even as it lifted them all off the ground and threw them back down with malicious force. Odd landed next to Renata, whose energy was returning to her. Another cable came barreling toward Odd. On impulse, Renata pushed him out of the way, taking the great electric shock.

"Would you quit doing that?!" Odd shouted, quickly crawling over to Renata and gathering her up onto her weak feet, "One more of those and you'll be done for!"

Renata obviously wasn't listening as yet another cord slung itself at them. Once again, Renata yanked herself from Odd and pushed him out of the way just in time. More electricity raced throughout her. This time, the impact was so great that she flew backwards into a tree, falling to the ground with a thud. Blackness began to take her over, but she resisted unconsciousness.

A pair of strong arms dragged Renata around to behind the tree by her underarms.

"Stay here, got it?" Nicholas' voice instructed. Renata moaned in agreement.

They fought for minutes more against the monster. Renata felt so useless as they did. She tried to move, but it was far too painful.

"Renata, look out!" Odd called. A cord bound Renata's wrists together and lifted her into the air. She was too tired to resist. "Put her down!"

Renata groaned as a separate cord made contact with her neck. She saw the currents of electricity travelling through the cord. The moment the electricity was an inch from her neck, the monster froze and dropped her. Odd caught her weak body in his arms.

"You fought well, Ren," Odd whispered, cradling her against himself, "You won't remember any of it, though."

Renata didn't have time to question him as an enormous bubble of bright white light enveloped the entire world, launching a Return Trip to the Past.

…

She didn't know it, but Renata was actually doing her routine in front of Jim for the second time. This time, though, all of her friends were cheering her on. She landed perfectly on the balls of her feet after a triple-twist frontward flip, the encouraging applause of her friends and fitness teacher following shortly after.

"Alright, Staccato, that was your best session yet!" Jim congratulated, patting the panting girl on the back.

"Yeah, I'm proud to call you my twin because of that performance," Ulrich joked, smirking.

"We're not related, and you know it," Renata grinned, patting Ulrich's arm.

"I know it just as well as you do," Ulrich replied, "And would it kill you to just play along sometimes?"

"It wouldn't kill me," Renata answered, "It would probably maim me, Bro." This earned her a grin from Ulrich.

"Well, whatever it does to you, you two still look and act like fraternal twins," Jeremie stated, putting his laptop into his bag.

"We're not _that _alike," Renata and Ulrich said at the same time, causing the entire group to laugh.

"So, how about some lunch, everyone?" Odd asked the group.

"Sounds good," said Yumi.

"Sure," Renata agreed, smiling.

The group walked outside in pursuit of the cafeteria, only to be met by Sissi and her posse.

"Oh, look, it's the loser club," Sissi greeted, smirking.

"Wow, how long did it take you to come up with that clever name?" Renata asked, feigning curiosity and bewilderment, "All night, perhaps?" Her friends chuckled behind her. "And by the way, if there was a loser club, you and your little bodyguards would be the only members."

"You know, Renata, if I were you, I'd be a little nicer," Sissi said.

"I highly doubt that," Renata replied blandly, crossing her arms, "See, I have this thing where I'm not nice to snobby people… or their accomplices."

"Well, you might want to know that I know your dirty little secret," Sissi sneered, putting a hand on her hip.

Now, Renata feigned enthusiasm. "Wow, Sissi!" she shrieked, placing a hand on either side of her face, "I never quite realized it until now because I never pay attention to you, but what you're saying is worth absolutely nothing!" She brought her hands down from her face. "Ciao."

As the five walked off to the cafeteria, Renata pondered Sissi's mention of her "dirty little secret." What on Earth had she been talking about? Renata didn't have any secrets! Well, there _was _the one about the family business, but she was planning on telling her friends about that anyway. Then, of course, there was the one about her brother…

"After you, my lady," Odd said flirtatiously while bowing and opening the door for Renata, who rolled her eyes and gruffly pushed the door open. Odd had been flirting with her for a while, and though it was quite annoying, Renata took his behavior as Odd merely being Odd. After all, he wasn't flirting with only her, right?

The group filed into the lunch line. Odd received three helpings of mashed potatoes and six servings of meatballs, much to everyone else's annoyance. Rosa gave Renata a plastic container full of spinach, cherry tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, and walnuts. Without a doubt, Renata was the only student at Kadic Academy that wanted a salad for lunch every day.

"How do you eat so little food?" Odd asked Renata incredulously with his mouth full of meatballs. He asked her this question at every meal.

"How do you eat so much?" Renata shot back, breaking the flesh of a cherry tomato and letting the acidic juices wash around in her mouth.

"I'm a growing boy!" Odd said, swallowing.

"That doesn't explain your voice or height," Renata retorted.

"You're mean today," Odd pouted.

"You're annoying today," said Renata.

"He's annoying every day," Yumi pointed out.

"And you two get on my nerves every day!" Jeremie said loudly to Odd and Renata.

"Not my fault you have sensitive nerves," Renata shrugged, shoveling three pieces of spinach into her mouth. She grinned inwardly, seeing Odd's joy in annoying people.

"Odd, maybe you should quit hanging around her," Ulrich said, "You're rubbing off on her."

"And just what's so wrong about that?" Odd inquired innocently, putting his arm around Renata, "I'm completely lovable! I'm charismatic, entertaining, and devastatingly handsome!"

"Not to mention your lack of self-absorption," Renata quipped sarcastically.

"Ren, if you knew about the heroic things I do in one week, you'd be worshipping the ground I walk on," Odd said, flashing a wide smile. A thud sounded from underneath the table. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?" He glared at Ulrich, who mirrored his expression.

Renata was about to ask what was going on, when the bell rang.

"Time for class," Yumi groaned.

…

In art class, Renata and Odd stood with their backs to each other, painting on canvases being supported by easels. Their assignment was to draw someone important in their families.

"So, Odd," Renata said quietly, "What's up with you and the rest of our friends?"

"What do you mean?" Odd asked hesitantly.

"I mean you all cutting class, giving each other weird looks, and running off in the middle of the night," Renata answered.

"How do you know about the stuff in the night?" Odd questioned.

"Kiwi comes into my room whenever you and Ulrich are gone at night," Renata grumbled as she colored in the background of her picture, "What's going on?" Odd didn't answer her. "Odd!"

"Look, I… I can't tell you," Odd said sadly, "I wish I could, but I can't."

"It's better to just tell me now," Renata warned, "because you know I'll find out eventually."

"Yeah, but you'll probably have a tough time remembering it," Odd stated under his breath.

"What was that?" Renata demanded.

"Nothing."

After ten minutes of painting and calming down, Odd's and Renata's works of art were complete.

"Show me yours first," Renata suggested.

"No, I want to see your painting first!" Odd whined.

Renata rolled her eyes and turned her easel toward Odd. "Fine."

Her painting was of Lucia. It was adequate, missing a few things here and there, but it wasn't bad. It had taken forever to perfect the shades of her sister's dark green eyes and light brown-blond hair.

"Your sister?" Odd guessed.

"Yeah," Renata said, smiling.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Yeah," Renata said again. Her mind strayed to her other sibling, but she blinked to clear those thoughts. "Unlike most, I miss my little sister."

"I doubt my older sisters miss me," Odd chuckled.

"Oh, come on," Renata scoffed, "I'm sure they do." She paused. "Did you draw one of them?"

"No," Odd replied, turning his easel toward Renata. The painting on the canvas was of Kiwi.

"Odd, you were supposed to paint someone you miss!" Renata whispered, "You see Kiwi every day!"

"I'm not _supposed _to see him every day," Odd stated, smiling. Renata rolled her eyes. "So, according to the teachers, I really miss my precious dog!" He pouted, giving Renata a pitiable look in his eyes.

"Well, your painting is pretty good," Renata complimented sincerely. It was very good, much better than Renata's, in fact.

"So is yours," Odd smiled.

…

The rest of the day passed by pretty slowly. Renata did her bathroom preparations for bed before putting on her night clothes. She kneeled by her bedside and clasped her hands together and murmured her prayers before climbing into bed.

…

**Booyah! I didn't think I'd be returning after less than a month of hiatus time. Gosh, I'm probably going to end up regretting this, later… Please review! I value reviews more than anything else, but feel free to favorite and follow, as well. I'm also torn about whether I should call this Renata/Odd pairing power name Rodd, or Oddata. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, I'll update soon!**


	2. The Prom Absence

**A/N: I've decided that the pairing will be called Rodd. I've been in Pennsylvania all week and I'm still kind of jet-lagged. Happy late Thanksgiving! I'm doing this in an airport!**

**S.L. Della Robbia: *fangirl squeal* Yay! You reviewed! Thank you so much for the compliments! Your review really means a lot to me.**

**...**

Because Renata was shaken awake the following morning, Odd received a breath-stealing punch in the stomach due to Renata's reflexes.

"I'm sorry!" Renata apologized quickly, sitting up in bed as Odd fell to the floor, "It's a reflex. It's been like that since I was little."

"You sock people that wake you up in the stomach?" Odd wheezed, grasping his torso.

"Hey, I was born this way," Renata defended, holding her hands up as a display of innocence.

"You're weird," Odd grumbled.

"And you're odd," Renata said back, succeeding in her attempt at keeping her face straight.

"Wow, never heard that one, before," Odd said sarcastically.

Renata bit her lip and giggled, causing Odd to smile. She mentally shook her head at herself. What was that? She never giggled around people, save for her sister. She never bit her lip. When she was nervous, she ground her teeth together. What was she doing?

"Well, uh, why did you wake me up?" Renata asked.

"Um, I got bored," Odd replied, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

Renata glanced at her alarm clock, her eyes widening. "It's eight o'clock in the morning and you got bored?" Her voice was incredulous.

"Hey, I got my full eight hours of sleep," said Odd, "Come on! It's a Sunday morning! Let's seize the day! Go out! Get some fresh air!"

"Your idea of getting fresh air is spending all day in an arcade with an unlimited supply of chocolate bars in your hand," Renata pointed out.

Odd threw his head back and laughed. "You know me too well," he said, poking Renata in the arm with his index finger. He continued to prod her, his eyes narrowing with every jab at her biceps. "Gosh, Ren, your arms are huge!"

"Um, thanks," said Renata. She mentally recalled the day when she and Odd had arm wrestled. Odd had instantly fallen to the ground.

"You know, I've really bulked up since our last brawl," Odd boasted mischievously, "I bet I could take you."

"Oh, you'd lose that bet," Renata said, smirking.

"You sure about that?" Odd asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes I am," Renata replied.

"Well, how about I make a deal with you?" Odd requested.

"I'm listening," Renata said.

"If I can pin you on your back for three seconds, I get to take you to the prom," Odd challenged deviously.

This shocked Renata. Odd wanted to go to the prom with her? Why didn't he just ask her like a normal person? She might have agreed. But now, she was being challenged to a duel concerning her prom's fate.

She'd pummel him.

"What do I get when I win?" Renata asked, repressing the growl bubbling in her throat.

"I'll take you out to dinner," Odd replied, smirking.

"So, basically, whether I win or lose, I'm getting a date with you," Renata thought aloud.

"Yeah, but if you win, I'll pay," said Odd. She wanted to punch him so badly.

"-for the free water," she finished.

"Do you accept the challenge?" Odd asked, his voice resembling that of a competitive anime character.

"No," Renata replied bitterly and plainly, "Odd, that's no way to ask a girl out. And by the way, I'm spending today with Yumi."

"Oh," was all Odd said. His eyes were layered with hurt and disappointment. The moment he walked out of the room, Renata regretted being so harsh with him.

...

The Italian had been contemplating Odd's request all during gymnastics practice. She did everything rather faultily. She didn't seem to do any of her routines correctly.

"Are you doing okay, Staccato?" Jim asked her after practice, "You weren't doing too well, out there."

"I'm alright, Jim," Renata assured, breathing heavily, "It's just an off-day for me, you know?"

"Yes, I understand," Jim agreed gruffly, "You know what was an extremely inconvenient off-day for me? When I was in the Grand Canyon with nothing but the pants on my legs and a full bladder."

It took a majority of Renata's will of Herculean strength to restrict that image from crossing her mind. "Oh, well, I have to go change," she said. It wasn't a lie, of course. She followed her words and changed in the girls' locker room. As soon as she was dressed in her everyday clothes, her phone vibrated, triggered by a call from Yumi.

"Hey, Yumi," Renata greeted, "Sorry I'm running a little late. Jim held the session to the last minute and then almost told me some revolting story."

"It's fine," said Yumi through the phone, "By the way, do you know what's up with Odd? Ulrich said he seemed pretty down. Apparently, he could only stomach three servings of pancakes. Do you know what's going on?"

"He asked me to the prom in the most ridiculous way, so I rejected him," Renata said, disgust piercing her voice.

"Well, what happened?" Yumi inquired.

"He challenged me to a fight and said if he won, he could take me to the prom," Renata replied.

"Okay, I was prepared to be mad at you, but that's just stupid," Yumi said.

"Exactly!" Renata agreed, "And then he said if I won, he would take me to dinner!"

"I'm not sure if I'm angrier about the fact that he asked you out like that, or that he thought for a second that he could beat you."

"You know what?" Renata demanded, her voice rising with her anger, "I think he asked out every other girl in our grade! I think I was his last resort!"

"Okay, don't jump to conclusions," Yumi hushed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Renata questioned, furrowing her eyebrows as she slammed her locker shut.

"It means he likes you," Yumi explained, "as more than a friend."

Renata felt her cheeks and neck grow warm. "Okay, that's impossible," she murmured.

"Is it really?" Yumi asked. Renata could practically see the Asian's eyebrow rise.

"No guy has ever like me, before," Renata said shakily as she slung her messenger bag onto her shoulder.

"What does that have to do with anything?" sad Yumi, "You started coming here when you were eleven. Before that, guys didn't even know what real emotions were. I bet you hardly know what emotions are, now."

Renata was offended. Sure, she constantly masked her stresses with an unreadable expression, but she had gone through a life with joys and hardships, both of which involved strong emotions. "Hey, I feel!" she exclaimed, pushing the locker room door open, "I'm not made of stone!"

"Sorry, but you sure do put on the impression that you are," Yumi pointed out, "But still, Odd really likes you and you're the only one he wants to go to the prom with."

"Okay, since we're on the topic of the prom, has my twin asked you, yet?" Renata interrogated, her blush fleeing.

"What? No! Why would he- Just- No," Yumi stuttered.

"I wonder why he hasn't asked you, yet," Renata said as her feet carried her out of the gymnasium.

"Why would he?" Yumi asked.

"Hm, good question," Renata replied, feigning deep thought, "Oh, yeah! Because he's crazily in love with you!"

"What about Odd, then? Hm?"

"Ulrich!"

"Odd!"

The girls sighed, silently and telepathically forming a truce between themselves.

"Okay, I think I'm going to be pretty late," Renata warned, "I still need to grab some breakfast."

"That's fine," Yumi assured, "You're not that late. It's only five after nine. Just be here in ten minutes and we'll still be on time for the show, okay?"

"That's nine more minutes than I need," Renata said solemnly before chuckling, "Okay, see you then."

"Bye."

Renata put her phone back into her pocket. She went into the cafeteria, collected her bowl of oatmeal and fruit smoothie, and went outside for some fresh air.

Of course, she just _had _to walk into Sissi and her gang.

"Oh, look!" Sissi cooed, "It's the freak member of the loser club!"

"Seriously, Sissi," Renata groaned, "What is with all of these lame greetings?"

"The greetings aren't as important as my proposition," Sissi said, advancing upon Renata with subtlety, "Let's chitchat, okay?" She curled her arm around Renata's shoulders before throwing her head back at the boys. "Don't follow us, you hear?"

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Herb questioned nervously as Nicholas stared on blankly.

"I don't provide all of your necessities," Sissi sneered, "Go eat breakfast, or something. You're not welcome at my side, right now." Herb and Nicholas hung their heads and slinked off."Now, then, how have you been?"

"Get to the point," Renata barked.

"I know you've been on a scholarship, here," Sissi said, "And I know how and why."

"Okay," Renata said, "So?"

Sissi squeezed the Italian's shoulder, glaring at her. "So," Sissi began through gritted teeth, "I don't think you'd want that confidential information to be all over the school newspaper, now would you?"

Renata cringed inwardly, partially at Sissi's clawed squeeze, partially at her threat. First of all, no one but Odd was allowed to put their arm on Renata. Second of all, did Sissi know exactly what she was getting herself into? Sure, the principal's daughter wasn't all that bright, but she was not a force to be reckoned with.

"Sissi, I would love to stand here and not care about what you're saying, but my oatmeal is getting cold," Renata bit, attitude dripping off her voice as she shoved the Delmas' arm off her shoulder.

"I am _not _fooling around, Renata!" Sissi shouted, staring the girl right in the eye, "I will tell Milly and Tamiya everything! You won't be able to hide anymore of yourself or your humiliating family-"

The moment the word family escaped Sissi's lips, Renata's anger spread like wildfire throughout her body. She grabbed the stuck-up girl's hand and twisted her wrist so her arm was distorted at her side.

"Let me make myself very clear, Delmas," Renata growled, her usually warm brown eyes fiery with hatred, "If you say anything about my family ever again..." She pulled the girl closer so their noses were mere centimeters apart. "_You will not live to see daylight." _

"Y-You can't threaten me," Sissi whimpered, "You... You can't t-touch me! I-I'm the p-principal's daughter!"

_"Try _me," Renata dared, "Let's test your little theory. Will I cower under the threat of you telling anything to your daddy, or will I tear you apart and feed you to the vultures?"

"Uh..." Sissi muttered, wincing as Renata applied more pressure to her arm, "Herb! Nicholas!"

Renata rolled her eyes and withdrew her face from Sissi's. That little coward was calling for the two idiots that looked at her and saw her as a map.

"He-Hey!" Herb shouted, "L-Let her g-go!"

Once again, Renata rolled her eyes. "Herb, you have a soft spot. I have a foot. Do the equation." That shut that pizza-face up.

Renata glared at her watch. She had six minutes. Without a word, she harshly released Sissi from her grip, shoving her backward into Herb and Nicholas before stomping off, her hands on the verge of breaking her food tray.

Behind a tree, Renata hastily consumed her oatmeal and chugged her smoothie before sprinting back to the cafeteria to take care of the dishes.

"Sorry I can't help, Rosa," Renata apologized, wiping a magenta rivulet of smoothie from her chin with her dark green sleeve, "I'm in a hurry."

"That's alright, Renny," Rosa smiled heartily, "You shouldn't be holed up in here washing dishes, anyway."

Renata flashed the lunch lady a smile before darting out of the room, off the campus, down the street, and to Yumi's front door. She panted for a few seconds before recovering as she rapped her knuckles against the Ishiyamas' door. She straightened her posture and steadied her breathing as a tall woman with very short, black hair answered the door.

"Hello, Signora Ishiyama," Renata greeted politely, "I'm here to pick up Yumi."

"Ah, yes," Mrs. Ishiyama said with a smile. Renata knew she was being treated with kindness because she was a girl. Yumi's parents were very wary about letting their daughter hang around boys, all the time. "She'll be right down." Sure enough, Yumi was at Renata's side and calling goodbye to her family within seconds. They were off into town.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yumi asked as they walked along the sidewalk, "I can practically see the smoke coming out of your ears."

"Yeah, I'm alright," Renata replied, keeping one hand on the strap of her messenger bag, "I just got into a little tiff with Sissi."

"What happened?"

"Ah, the usual," Renata shrugged, "She instigated a fight, I exacerbated it. It all ended well."

"You left her shaking in fear?" Yumi guessed, chuckling.

"Well, I don't know about Sissi, but Herb was definitely petrified," Renata laughed.

The girls gossiped until they made their way to a theater and watched a thirty-minute play about world peace. The play itself wasn't very entertaining, but the expressions and gestures passed between the pair of girls were priceless.

"Is it fun to be ambidextrous?" Yumi asked curiously, cocking her head to the side as Renata signed her name on a receipt for gelato with a different hand than she had used the day before.

"I wouldn't say it's fun," Renata reasoned, "But, I do get a bit of a kick out of it. It makes... gymnastics easier."

"So, what're you going to do about Odd?" Yumi asked before scooping a spoonful of gelato into her mouth.

"Am I supposed to do something?" Renata asked, a spoonful of the icy dessert numbing her cheeks.

"Good point," said Yumi, "This _is _his fault."

"Do you think he's told Ulrich, yet?" Renata wondered aloud.

"Definitely," Yumi confirmed, "And Ulrich is probably scolding him as we speak." A ring came from her pocket. "Speak of the devil." She brought the phone to her ear. "Hi, Ulrich. Everything okay? ...Yes, I heard it from Renata, herself."

Renata mouthed the word "speaker." Yumi giggled and put the phone on speaker mode.

"I can't believe him," Ulrich grumbled through the phone, "He challenged her to a fight!"

"She should've pummeled him," Yumi stated, more to Renata than Ulrich, "Then again, she would have broken every bone in that scrawny body of his."

"Yeah," Ulrich agreed, "And now he's planning some hugely extravagant way to ask her. I believe he said something about a zip line..."

The gelato in Renata's stomach shifted. She had never been a girl of flamboyance, and she certainly didn't want some ostentatious proposal to a junior high school prom. She threw a grimace toward Yumi, who instantly understood.

"Um, I don't think she'd like that," Yumi told Ulrich.

"Me, neither," Ulrich admitted, "But what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Talk him out of it, genius," Yumi ordered, "Because if he goes through with it, Renata could feel... overwhelmed."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," said Ulrich.

"Thank you!" Renata called.

"Hey, who is that?" Ulrich demanded confusedly.

"It's Ren," Renata announced casually, "Oh, and while I have you on the phone, when are you going to ask Yumi to the-" Yumi shut off the phone before the sentence could be completed.

"Oh, come on," Renata jokingly begged, "You were thinking it, too."

"That was about you and Odd," Yumi stated firmly, shoving her phone into her pocket and not looking the Staccato in the eyes, "Not Ulrich and me."

"Okay, okay. So, when are we due back?"

They spent the afternoon looking in stores, mostly in a dress shop for the prom. Yumi laughed for ages at the sight of Renata's gawky walk in high-heeled shoes. It was soon fifteen o'clock **(Universal Time, people. On a twelve-hour clock, that's three p.m.), **and Yumi had to go home. Renata went back to Kadic, a single shopping bag in hand.

The Italian went upstairs and walked down the hall. When she came to her floor, she found Odd at her door with a red rose in his hand, talking to himself.

"Okay, uh, 'Renata, will you go to the prom with me?'" he practiced, "No, that's too direct. 'You look nice, Renata, and-' That's stupid, she looks good every day." He drew in a long breath. "Renata, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the prom with me."

"Sure, I'll go with you," Renata approved sweetly, approaching Odd and taking the rose from his hand. "Pick me up at twenty." **(That's eight p.m.) **She gave him a light peck on the cheek and darted inside her room, leaving Odd to wonder what had just happened and whether or not it was real.

...

The girls stood in front of each other, admiring their appearances. Renata was wearing a lipstick red halter dress that came down to her knees **(the kind of halter dress that covers the entire chest)**, while Yumi wore a black, single-shouldered dress that came down right above her knees.

Yumi began, "You know, maybe you should-"

"No," was all Renata said. She knew what Yumi was trying to say.

"But, I bet your hair would look really pretty down!" Yumi exclaimed.

"It does," Renata said, "It's just a matter of principle. Odd doesn't get to see my hair down, yet." She ran a fingernail through her hair, careful not to damage her brown braid bun.

Yumi's phone rang. "Hello? Ulrich? Now?" She glanced at Renata and sighed. "Okay. I'll be right there." She slipped her phone into her boot. "Sorry, but Ulrich wants me to meet him elsewhere."

"Ah, I get it," Renata sighed, throwing Yumi a not-so-subtle wink.

Yumi face-palmed. "Not like that!"

"Well, have lots of fun!" Renata joked.

"Ren!"

"Sorry, sorry. See you at the prom!"

"Yeah, see you," Yumi looked deflated as she exited Renata's room.

...

"What's going on, Jeremie?" Ulrich shouted as his skateboard sped across the pavement of the water sewer.

"I don't know, but XANA has definitely activated a tower!" Jeremie called, pumping his leg along the ground to make his scooter accelerate, "He could launch an attack at any second, so we need that tower deactivated as soon as possible!"

"Got 'cha, Einstein!" Odd confirmed.

"Odd, should you be here?" Jeremie asked as he reached the end of the tunnel, "Didn't you ask Renata to the dance?"

"It'll be fine," Odd said, waving his hand as he set his skateboard on the ground, "We can launch a Return and we'll all go to the prom. Well, most of us, anyway." He, of course, was referring to Jeremie.

"Sorry about the prom, Yumi," Ulrich murmured, rubbing the back of his neck with is hand.

"It's fine," said Yumi sincerely, "Like Odd said, we can go later."

"You mean earlier," said Odd with a wink.

The warriors loaded into the scanners as Jeremie fired up the supercomputer. He recited, "Transfer: Odd. Transfer: Ulrich. Transfer: Yumi. Scanner: Odd. Scanner: Ulrich. Scanner: Yumi. Virtualization!"

The adolescents landed on the "sand" of the desert region.

"Hello, there," the soft voice of a girl with short, pink hair greeted.

"Princess," Odd said back, bowing.

"Hey, Aelita," said Yumi, "So, what's going on?"

"There are very many pulsations," Aelita explained, "But they are all going in different directions."

"Looks like we can't go anywhere, yet," Odd remarked, pointing behind Aelita at a trio of Krabes.

"Wow, already?" Ulrich said, "Looks like XANA is an early bird, this time. Let's go."

Yumi stood in front of Aelita, shielding the both of them with her fans.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd boomed as he jumped high into the air, firing twice at the monsters resembling shellfish. A single arrow hit one Krab in its XANA symbol, triggering its explosion.

"Nice shot, Odd," Jeremie congratulated, "But don't get too comfortable. A pair of Bloks are headed your way!"

"Can we switch?" Odd asked his friends, "Bloks are my favorite."

"Sure," Ulrich said, "Yumi, I'll take care of Aelita. I know how much you like Krabes." They smiled at each other while Odd rolled his eyes at them before switching positions.

They took care of the Bloks and Krabes before feeling somewhat superior.

"Alright!" Odd cheered, punching the air with his fist, "There's more where that came from!"

"You could say that again, Odd," Jeremie remarked, "Two Megatanks are right behind you!"

"Jeremie, do you know where the tower is?" Yumi asked.

"I'm looking," Jeremie said. There was a long pause. "It's... Oh, man."

"What's wrong?" Ulrich asked as yanked Aelita out of a Megatank's line of fire.

"I... I miscalculated," Jeremie admitted sheepishly, "It's seventy degrees east."

"That's okay, Einstein," Odd said, firing at a Megatank and missing, "Is anything in the real world happening?"

"I'll check the surveillance cameras," Jeremie said. There was another pause. "Huh. That's weird. All is completely quiet. Not a single short circuit. XANA hasn't done anything, yet."

"Weird," Yumi thought aloud, "We've been here for at least fifteen minutes and an attack hasn't happened, yet."

"Do you think it could be a new strategy?" Ulrich asked.

"Hm, maybe," Jeremie replied, "XANA's always got something strange up his sleeve."

"Triangulate!" Ulrich shouted, running in a triangular shape around one of the Megatanks. Two more Ulrichs appeared, all forming the three points of a triangle. The tank shot the fake Ulrichs, leaving the real one to run at it and dig his katana into the XANA symbol. "Impact!" he shouted as he did.

"Three Bloks to the west!" Jeremie warned.

Odd stepped in front of Aelita. "This is going to take a while, isn't it, Jeremie?" he asked.

"Afraid so," Jeremie replied.

...

Renata checked her watch for the fifth time. It was twenty-forty-five. She and Odd had agreed on twenty! Where was he? She began to untie the several cotton shoelaces of her red high knee sneakers. Because she couldn't stand in heels, let alone dance in them, and flats plainly attempted horrors upon her feet, she'd decided to wear sneakers. For the occasion, she was wearing the sneakers that came just under her knees.

Her eyes strayed to the red rose being preserved in a plastic water bottle on her bedside table. She kicked off her sneakers and white socks before standing up and walking over to the table. The supposed flower of romance was already wilting.

...

"Jeremie!" Ulrich shouted, "We've been here for and hour and a half! Anything you can do to help us?"

"No!" Jeremie shouted back, "I can't even type! There's some sort of bug that's messing up the controls! There's no holo-map, anymore! I can't see anything! The supercomputer is completely frozen!"

"How can it be frozen?!" Odd exclaimed, "Laser Arrow!" The life of a Blok was extinguished. "I mean, it's a supercomputer!"

"N- my -ault... Can- yo- -ear -e?" Jeremie's voice fell in fragments.

"Jeremie!" Yumi called, "Jeremie? Oh, great. We've lost contact."

"Meanwhile, we're surrounded by monsters and we have no idea where the tower is!" Odd added.

"Wow, Odd," Yumi said sarcastically, "We can always count on you to brighten things up."

"Hey, I'm trying my best, here," Odd defended, "Laser Arrow!"

...

It was twenty-three o'clock. The dance was over. Odd had stood Renata up. The Staccato glumly picked her braid bun apart, the dark strands falling down her neck in waves. She peeled off her red dress and neatly stowed it into the shopping bag it was carried in. She showered, brushed her teeth, washed her face, put on her night clothes, and knelt beside her bed.

Renata struck a match against a matchbox and brought it to a scented candle, igniting the wick and filling the room with the wafting odor of red velvet cake. She clasped her hands in prayer, whispering promises of gratefulness and desires. With the word, "Amen," she blew out the candle and climbed into bed.

...

It was midnight, and the warriors were finally done fighting. Odd couldn't even remember how he had been devirtualized, or how the tower had been deactivated. He just fell onto his bed, exhausted, Kiwi curled up at his side.

...

**I want to write more, but I have a limit on these chapters. Ship Rodd and review!**


	3. A Wound and a Kiss

**A/N: December is here! I can wear my Santa hat, now! I'm sorry I'm so late, but the next chapter will be on this Saturday, as usual.**

**toxicswallow: You should feel sorrier for Odd. Renata isn't the forgiving type. Thank you so much for the review! **

…

Odd woke up the next day with his pillow drenched in saliva. Kiwi was sprawled atop his back, his dull claws on the verge of digging into his owner.

"Odd, come on," Ulrich yawned, scratching the back of his head, "Breakfast is in fifteen minutes." He peeled his roommate from his bed and dropped him onto the floor. The heavy sleeper snoozed in. "Alright, but when you don't get our shares of pancakes at the meal table, don't come crying to me." He trudged into the boys' restroom.

With great effort, Odd picked himself up off the ground and lumbered behind Ulrich. He groggily brushed his teeth and splashed water up to his face, his head nearly collapsing into the sink.

After preparing for the day, Odd met up with his friends and received a plate bestowing three pairs of sunny-side-up eggs and four large sausages. However, when he sat down, he noticed that the seat beside him was vacant. There was no brown-eyed Italian next to him eating oatmeal and fragments of turkey bacon.

"Hey, where's Renata?" he asked, scooping an egg onto his fork. His friends shrugged in response.

"Uh, guys?" Jeremie called to his friends, his face narrowed into his laptop, "It's Monday."

The other three passed looks of bewilderment to each other.

"Monday?" Yumi repeated.

"Monday," Jeremie confirmed.

"What about the Return?" Ulrich whispered.

"It never happened," said Jeremie, "Aelita deactivated the tower and we all went home. No Return."

"No attack, either," Ulrich murmured, stabbing a sausage with his fork.

"Do you think you could figure out XANA's motives sometime today?" Yumi asked Jeremie.

"Aelita and I should be able to uncover our old friend's reasons," Jeremie assured, pressing his ovular glasses to the bridge of his nose.

"Hold on," Odd interjected. His friends stared at him. "If today's Monday, then yesterday was Sunday. Last night… The prom!"

Realization hit the group like an asteroid. Odd had stood Renata up. Yumi looked at the hyperactive blond with her mouth agape as Ulrich ran a stressed hand through his hair. Jeremie glanced between all of his friends, dumbfounded, and slipped out of the situation, knowing that he wouldn't be needed in their discussion. Odd looked uneasily down at his mountainous plate of food. There were still six eggs and three and a half sausages left. Feeling sick to his stomach, he pushed his tray away.

…

Renata pumped her arms and legs, running around the track of Kadic's gymnasium. Half of herself was saying that she was burning off the gelato she'd consumed the day before, the other half convinced that she was channeling her anger at a certain Della Robbia into her workout. As her foot took the last step of her five-minute mile run, Jim treaded over with the girl's water bottle, the chronometer in his hand frozen at exactly five minutes.

"That was alright, Staccato," Jim barked, handing Renata her opened water bottle. The Italian took a swig and swallowed. "You seemed a bit distant, but you still did pretty well. Everything alright?" He knelt down in front of the girl, who was taken aback by a teacher being so close to her.

"Uh, yeah," Renata muttered, eyes wide.

"You sure?" Jim questioned, raising an eyebrow, "You know, back when I was still in the forces, I learned to read people's faces. I could look right into their souls; discover their darkest secrets with a single blink of their eyes." He'd stood to his full height during his recitation.

"You were in the military?" Renata asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Actually, I'd rather not talk about it," Jim grunted, "Go change." Renata chuckled and followed her teacher's instructions.

Chemistry went by with the "twins" sitting next to each other and staring out the window, Jeremie dutifully taking notes about the nuclear power plant that was being lectured about, and Odd doodling a picture of Kiwi on his paper.

"Uh, sir?" Jeremie called, raising his hand as a request for questions was aroused.

"Yes, go on, Jeremie," Ms. Hertz encouraged, always eager to hear what her favorite student had to say.

Jeremie stood from his seat. "I'd like to know if an atomic process exists for fusing virtual particles and materializing them in the real world."

Renata furrowed her eyebrows and frowned, noticing that her friends didn't do the same. Ulrich simply gave the genius a look as if he knew what he was talking about, but Odd smiled.

The man lecturing the class frowned and pressed his rectangular glasses to his nose. "Son, that is in the realm of science fiction. Sorry." Jeremie looked discouraged.

"Jeremie is an excellent student," Ms. Hertz explained, "but he's a bit of a dreamer."

This caused the entire class to laugh at the Belpois, save for his friends, who shot poisonous looks at their classmates. Renata's look was dripping with venom when she glared at a snickering Herb. She turned around, only to have her gaze met by Odd, who was staring directly at her. She loosened, her eyes of brown not knowing how to stare at the fellow Italian.

Suddenly, the classroom projector malfunctioned, taking the diagram of the nuclear plant off the board.

"Well, now. What's happened here?" said Ms. Hertz, walking toward the machine, "Certainly nothing serious, just a blow in fuse, that's all." Meanwhile, Odd, Jeremie, and Ulrich looked very worried about the sudden dysfunction in electricity. The lecture carried on, however, despite the lack of a diagram.

When the bell rang, Ms. Hertz called Renata over to look at the homework she had turned in. "Renata, it seems that you turned in your math homework answers on your chemistry worksheet."

"Oh," Renata said lazily, "Whoops."

"However, when correcting the answers on the math worksheet, which correspond to my grading key… You did a job well done." She smiled at the girl, who returned the facial expression. "You may go, now." Renata told her a grateful thank-you before sprinting out the room to catch up with her friends.

"And I'm saying maybe _XANA _was behind this," Jeremie called over his shoulder to his friends, obviously unaware of Renata's presence.

"Don't get so excited, Jeremie," said Odd, "It was just a short circuit." Renata raced up to her friends to interrogate them about their conversation, but was interrupted by the principal when she reached Ulrich's side.

"Odd," Mr. Delmas called, "I've thought it over, and you can form you group, The… um… Foxtrot Fanatics?"

"Yes!" Odd cried.

"It's the Pop Rock Progressives, sir," Yumi corrected politely. The friends had been working on forming a band for quite some time. Odd played the guitar, Yumi was the lead singer, and Ulrich was the pianist. They'd tried to pull Renata into it, but she insisted that she couldn't play an instrument if her little sister's life depended on it.

"But," Mr. Delmas contradicted, "It must be open to anyone who wishes to play. Is that clear?"

"No problemo, sir!" Odd agreed as the others nodded. The principal made a sound of approval in his throat and nodded before walking off.

"Yeah!" Odd exclaimed, dropping to his knees in victory, "Let's hear it for the god of rock 'n' roll!" His friends chuckled. "Hey, come on. If we step on it, we can photocopy the leaflets before lunch, Jeremie."

"Well, you know Odd, I'm not into rock," Jeremie said, shaking his head. He didn't seem to be interested in any type of music, from Renata's perspective. He dropped his voice. "Besides, I want to check on that outage." He walked off.

"Okay, see you later, Jeremie!" Yumi called.

"Why's he so worried about the outage?" Renata asked her friends.

"Oh, he's just being Jeremie," Odd said, waving his hand without effort, "He's just like that."

"Yeah," Ulrich added quickly, "By the way, Ren, what's going on with you and Sissi?"

"What do you mean?" Renata asked, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"You know _exactly _what I mean," Ulrich said, his gaze threatening, "She's always giving you nasty looks and pulling you away from us."

"Yeah, what_ is_ up with that?" Yumi asked.

"Oh, it's just Sissi being Sissi," Renata bit back, obviously annoyed that her friends weren't being honest with each other. The conversation ended there.

…

It was time for lunch. When the group got to the lunch table, most of the Brussels sprouts were divided among Jeremie and Renata, as no one else wanted to eat them with their salads.

"Ugh, they're gross!" Ulrich exclaimed as he shoved his tray away.

"Odd?" the gruff voice of Jim exclaimed, "What are you up to, now?"

The small boy looked up at the large gym teacher. "We're holding auditions for our group," he explained confidently, holding up a flyer that was soon snatched away by Jim. The teacher read it over as Odd passed out more flyers. "Hey! If anyone is interested, we need a drummer!" When he reached Sissi's group, Nicholas was holding out his hand for one of the papers. Odd scoffed and walked back to his table.

Renata said nothing as Odd laughed about Nicholas to his friends. Sure, the Poliakoff wasn't the brightest, but it wasn't his fault that he'd been sucked into Sissi's group. If it wasn't for the fact that he was one of the principal's daughter's henchmen, Odd probably would have given him a flyer. Besides, because the Progressives were open to anyone who wanted to join, Nicholas would probably try out, anyway.

After laughing his gelled head off about Nicholas, Odd decided to go to the vending machines, as the lack of Brussels sprouts didn't give him much to eat. His friends, who had full stomachs, followed him.

Odd was having a major dilemma at the vending machine. "Let's see, now… Hot chocolate: no, soup: no. The soup tastes like dish water." Ulrich, who was standing behind Odd, quickly pressed one of the machine's buttons. "Hey, you pressed soup!"

"Come on," Ulrich defended, "It's not _that _awful."

Odd sighed. "Ren, do you want anything?" he offered.

Renata wrinkled her nose at the sugary junk foods in the machine. "Hm, no thanks. I'm into more bitter foods."

"You are what you eat," Odd shrugged, his eyes straying to his foods.

"Ah, nice strategy," Ulrich whispered to Odd sarcastically, "Make smart aleck remarks. That'll get her to forgive you for sure!"

A few droplets of murky brown soup spilled into Odd's cup. "Oh, this miserable machine's on the blink, again!" he complained.

Without a word, Renata snatched Odd's cup, put it back under the dispenser, wound up her arm, and punched the machine. There was a sickening crack and a sharp pain rocketed through her fist. She couldn't unclench it. However, the rest of Odd's soup was cascading into his cup.

"Your soup's ready," she said through gritted teeth, bringing her right arm to her side. Thank The Lord she was ambidextrous. Jeremie and Yumi began talking about the power failure as Odd eyed her arm.

"Ren, let me see your hand," Odd demanded, holding his own hand out in expectance.

Renata pulled her sleeve over her still clenched fist.

"Ren," Odd said sternly.

"I'm fine, alright?" Renata growled. Odd's eyes widened at the blood rippling onto the ground. The pair stared each other down, Odd daring Renata to examine her hand and Renata refusing. However, the warm liquid trickling down her knuckles was making it very difficult to restrain herself from peeking at her wound. Finally, Odd became fed up with the girl's stubbornness. He approached her, and though he was radiating firmness, he gently grasped her forearm, peeled the dark green sleeve from her fist, and softly tempted her fingers from uncurling.

Her hand was quite a gruesome sight. It was completely swollen and grotesque cuts were bleeding irregularly along her knuckles.

"You should see the nurse," Ulrich piped up before walking off to the gymnasium with Yumi.

"You should," Odd agreed, not taking his eyes off of Renata's hand.

"I-" Renata began, only to be interrupted.

"No, you're _not fine," _Odd interrupted testily, "You need to see the nurse."

Renata drew her hand away from him angrily. "Why should I listen to you? You're not my keeper!"

"You're right, I'm not your keeper," Odd agreed, his eyes mad, "But I _am _your friend. And that means I care about you."

"Oh, so you care about me?" Renata questioned, her rage rising, "I didn't get that impression last night, when you stood me up!"

Odd's face fell in guilt. He looked so apologetic. "I… I'm sorry about that."

"What the heck happened?" Odd remained silent, so Renata turned on her heel, aggravated, and stormed off. She was so angry, she wondered if she was leaving a trail of fire with every step.

"Hey, shouldn't you be in-" Yumi began as she saw Renata treading in. When she saw the look on the Staccato's face, she shut her mouth. Renata planted a chair next to Ulrich and sat down in it, once again pulling her sleeve over her fist. Mike, a classmate of the group, was playing on the drums. Unfortunately for him, his style of drumming didn't suit the style of the Pop Rock Progressives.

"Well, yeah, you've got a lot of style," Odd said after Mike finished, "It's heavy metal, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Mike confirmed, "For sure. I love it." He banged one of the cymbals of the drum set with his drumsticks.

"Really sorry, Mike, um, but we're looking for something more... traditional, you know?" Yumi apologized, her knees to her chest. Mike shrugged in response, obviously not damaged by Yumi's remark.

"Next," Odd called as Mike left the drum set. The door opened and footsteps sounded through the room. Renata heard Odd gasp and almost snarled when she saw the reason. A pretty girl with short, choppy brown hair was approaching the drum set. She was weraing a revealing outfit consisting of a pink tank top and pink short skirt. Worst of all, Odd's face had lit up at the sight of her.

"Hello guys," Naomi greeted the group from the stage, her lazy and nasally voice adding itself to Renata's list of pet peeves.

"Hey!" Odd said enthusiatically, leaning forward in his seat, "How are you, Naomi? I didn't know you played the drums."

"Well, yeah," said Naomi, "a little. Besides, I've always dreamed of being in a band." She held herself in such a way that Renata wanted to barf her recently consumed Brussels sprouts onto the girl. Instead, she molded her face into an illegible mask and stayed that way.

"Okay, then," Ulrich said, "Go on."

When Naomi began to play, a sickly smile clouded Renata's eyes. She wanted to send a hyena laugh into the atmosphere. Naomi was terrible at drumming! She had positively no rhythm. After finishing, she stood up and bowed.

"Great, Naomi!" Odd shouted, standing up and applauding her, "That was fantastic! Well, I mean, come on! We're not gonna find anyone better, right?"

Renata rolled her eyes as Ulrich and Yumi gave Odd glares of incredulousness. Odd didn't seem to notice as he went up to chat with the horrible drummer.

"Ren, as your brother, I believe it is my duty to inform you that envy green is not a good color on you," Ulrich said to Renata.

"You're digging your own grave," Renata warned.

"Look, Odd is only flirting with Naomi because he doesn't know how to act around you," Ulrich said.

"You know, I'm only acting hostile toward you because I want to punch you in the mouth," Renata said through gritted teeth, her temper rising.

"Yeesh, don't shoot the messenger," her "twin" said defensively.

Renata noticed a sticky puddle of crimson gathering on the floor next to her. Her hand was bleeding profusely, so she tightened her sleeve around her knuckles, applying pressure to the cuts. Ulrich noticed this, of course, so she shot him a look that said, "Say anything and you won't see tomorrow's sunrise." Unfortunately, Odd noticed, as well.

"Alright, that's it," he said, stomping over to the Staccato, grabbing her by the arm, and dragging her into the halls.

"Odd, stop!" Renata protested, struggling against Odd's surprisingly tight grip, "Let me go!"

"Ren, for the love of God, I have to practically kidnap you because I'm concerned for your health!" Odd shouted, "Why do you have to be so stubborn? We're going to the infirmary and getting that hand fixed!"

"No, Odd, we're not!" Renata screamed, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Is this because I stood you up?" Odd asked, only his voice had dropped dramatically. Renata nodded meekly. He put his hand to his forehead, looking like a stressed, middle-aged man. "Look, Ren, I'd tell you what happened last night, but… I just-"

"-don't trust me?" Renata finished, her voice slightly hurt.

"Renata Brunilda Staccato, I trust you with my life," Odd promised sincerely, recalling each and every time that the girl had protectively sacrificed herself for the safety of her friends, "It's just that, if I told you, you... you could get hurt. Really, really hurt."

"Odd, what have you been doing?" Renata asked, concerned, "Have you been fighting someone?"

"Um… you could say that." His eyes shifted.

"Odd!" Her perspectives changed at lightning speed. "Have you been getting hurt? I swear, if you are- Oh no, I will _kill _whoever's doing this! I will break every bone in his sorry little body-"

"Much appreciated," said Odd, laughing slightly, "but not necessary. And speaking of broken bones, how about we get that hand repaired in the infirmary?"

"Um, no," Renata chuckled. In response to this, Odd knelt down in front of Renata, grabbed her by the knees, and hoisted her onto his shoulder. "Odd! Put me down right now!" She was more worried for Odd, who was much, much smaller than she.

"Gosh, you're light for a girl who's all muscle!" Odd remarked, grunting.

"Odd, you'll break yourself!" Renata screamed, though she giggled as she did.

"I'll be fine," Odd assured. He looked over his shoulder at his abductee and smirked. "Sound familiar?"

"Seriously, put me_ down!"_ Renata growled, raising her foot and kicking Odd in the thigh. Despite that there were no people were in the hallways, she felt like she was being made a spectacle of. She hated that feeling, and didn't want to experience it at Kadic. After all, the main reason she'd started attending the school was so she could be rid of that feeling. Sissi was getting in the way of that… To occupy herself, she began to squiggle an invisible picture onto Odd's back, though she did repeat kicking him in the thigh quite a few times.

When she craned her neck and the nurse's door was in sight, she began to struggle against her captor. "Odd, I'm not joking. Put me down," she ordered.

"What are you, iatrophobic?" Odd asked, fighting to keep Renata steady.

"I am _not _afraid of doctors!" She was outraged and aimed a kick in a certain spot of Odd's anatomy.

"Hey, watch it!" Odd shouted, balancing the stubborn girl with one arm and opening the door to the nurse's office with the hand of his other arm.

"What on Earth is going on, here?" Nurse Dorothy demanded when she saw the pair enter. Odd gently set Renata on the ground, who shoved him away from herself.

"She broke her hand," Odd stated, "At least, I think she did." Renata rolled her eyes and held her hand out, which was throbbing.

Dorothy's eyes widened at the sight. "My goodness!" she said as she approached Renata and took her forearm, "What happened?"

"I… punched a vending machine…" Renata admitted sheepishly, not looking the nurse in the eyes.

"You- what?" Dorothy said, dumbfounded, "Never mind. With you, there's always a strange reason, Renata. When did this happen?"

"Hm, a half an hour ago?" Renata guessed, looking to Odd for confirmation, who nodded in agreement.

"A half an hour ago?" Dorothy gasped, "Why didn't you come sooner?"

"That girl is as stubborn as a mule!" Odd exclaimed. He rubbed his sore thigh. "And she kicks like one, too."

Dorothy shook her head and gestured to one of the beds for the pair to sit on. She gathered up the supplies necessary for healing Renata's hand.

"This may sting a little," Dorothy warned as she poured a pale liquid onto a large cotton ball. She promptly placed it on top of Renata's bleeding knuckles. Indeed, the disinfectant did sting, and the girl's mouth twitched just slightly. The nurse then dried and rinsed the hand and handed Odd a clean towel. "Here, hold that on her hand while I get some more bandages." She exited the room.

Odd did as he was told and carefully layered the towel onto the cleansed cuts, supporting the underside of Renata's hand with the back of his own. They sat in silence, Renata admiring the calming, cool temperature of Odd's hands. She stroked his thumb with her own fingers. In response, he turned his hand over so their hands were embracing. To both of their surprises, Renata accepted the gesture. She even liked it. Her cheeks were tinted ever so slightly with scarlet.

"Do you think I'll need surgery?" Renata asked quietly, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Probably," Odd replied, "Are you nervous?"

"Well, there's my papà to be concerned about," Renata swayed.

Odd gulped. "Your father is scary." He chuckled. "Like father, like daughter." Renata's lips curved into a grin.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"You know, Ren," Odd began, "I really am sorry about missing the prom."

"It's okay," Renata said. It barely was.

"No, it's not," Odd insisted, looking her in the eyes, "I know you may think that I only asked you because I didn't have a date, but I didn't ask any other girls. You were my first choice. I really like you, Ren. I've liked you for a really long time."

Some strange sensation churdled in Renata's stomach. It tickled ferociously, just slightly painful, and somehow made her smile. The feeling bounced its way up to her heart, refusing to stop. She'd never quite thought about her feelings toward the Della Robbia, before. To her, their relationship was considered in a certain scenerio: If Renata was held at gunpoint and forced to date one of the boys at Kadic, she would choose Odd. But now that she had been friends with him for a few years and they had matured (Renata had, anyway), their status was more defined. He annoyed her. She defended him. This was their way of flirting.

"I really like you, too," she admitted, the elated smile in her eyes sincere. Forgetting about her injury, she squeezed Odd's hand. A recurring pain barreled up her arm, and she flinched.

Odd caressed the girl's hand, shortly comforting her. He stared into her eyes, which were vulnerably daring him to lean forward. He steadily followed the nonverbal instructions, and their lips connected.

Something burst in Renata's chest as her eyelids fluttered shut. Whatever it was, it left a residue of warm, tingling sensations, which rocketed through her body like scattering embers. Her heart must have been filled with hydrogen, because it kept escalating higher and higher in her chest. Her breathing was hitched and thin, but she muscled through it, desperate to deepen the kiss. He pulled her head closer to him with his hand, yearning to continue his voyage into her lips. Soon, the pair couldn't stand it any longer and pulled away forcefully, gasping for breath.

It settled into Renata as her chest heaved. She'd just kissed Odd. She had never imagined that she would recieve her first kiss before sixteen, but there she was: thirteen years old, her lips no longer untouched.

"That was pretty good," Odd said, leaning back on his arms. His face was completely flushed with vermillion.

"A little more practice and we can make it great," Renata flirted deviously. Wow, a kiss could make her flirt?

"I like the sound of that," Odd grinned. His phone rang, and he gave the girl an apologetic look before answering. "Hello? Jeremie? Oh, you've got to be kidding me! But, I'm with Ren!" There was a pause as Jeremie responded. "Bring her with me? Are you insane? She- WHAT?! No! No, no, that is absolutely out of the question!" He looked to Renata for a few moments. "Okay, we'll be right there." He hung up. He held his hand out to Renata. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Renata asked, eager to leave the nurse's office but not showing it.

"Just trust me, okay?"

**...**

**Oooooooooh! Suspense! Will Renata truly discover Lyoko and become a warrior? Find out in two days, but not before reviewing!**


	4. Roman Warrior

**toxicswallow: You're about to find out Renata's form! Just keep reading!**

…

Odd led Renata to some seemingly abandoned factory on the river. They went down a rickety elevator and into a room with an enormous computer hooked up to some holo-sphere.

"Hey, Odd, Renata," Jeremie greeted, seated in a bulky chair in front of the computer. He was typing away on the computer, and wearing a headset. "Odd, scanner room. Renata, stay here. Unless…" He looked to Odd hopefully.

"No way," Odd said, shaking his head, "She's staying here."

Jeremie sighed as a voice sprang up from the supercomputer's speakers. "Hey, who's that in the background?" It sounded identical to Ulrich.

"It's Renata," Jeremie replied as said Italian stood at his side.

"Is she coming to Lyoko?" the voice asked. Lyoko? Was that where the voice coming from?

"Nope," Jeremie said, "Odd's refusing."

"Is that Ulrich?" Renata whispered to Jeremie, who nodded in confirmation.

"I thought we took a vote!" Ulrich shouted before letting out a grunt of pain.

"Ulrich, you okay?" Renata called, her heartbeat quickening.

"He's fine," Jeremie told Renata before returning to arguing with Ulrich, "We did take a vote! Odd was the only one who voted no, remember? You absent-minded samurai… Hey, get those Krabes taken care of, already! The pylon is halfway full!"

"What is going on?!" Renata demanded, "Krabes? Pylon? Lyoko? Vote? Vote for what?"

"Listen, Renata, are your friends important to you?" Jeremie asked, staring the girl straight in the eyes.

"What? Of course!" Renata replied, blinking. It should've been pretty obvious that her friends and family were the most important things in her life.

"Would you fight for them at all costs?" Jeremie asked, "Would you put their safety before yours at the risk of your own life? Would you die for them? Would you protect them no matter what?"

"Yes!" Renata cried urgently, "No what is this about?"

"Get into the elevator," Jeremie instructed, returning his gaze to the computer screen, "You'll find a room with these cylinders called scanners. Get into one of them and wait."

"Okay," Renata nodded, sprinting back to the elevator, down the shaft, and into the scanner room. Sure enough, there were three "scanners" standing before her. She hesitantly stepped into one. "So, what now?"

Jeremie, said, "Transfer: Renata." The doors of the scanner closed. "Scanner: Renata." The platform underneath her began to rotate and rise. "Virtualization!" A rush of wind blew her hair straight upward.

The next thing she knew, Renata was quickly falling onto a desert-like landscape. She stood up quickly and scrutinized her surroundings. It seemed like there was no air to breathe, and there was no scent or warmth to the place.

"Ren?" a high-pitched voice called. Renata looked to see Odd, but didn't recognize him, at first. He was wearing all purple, at least that much was similar, but he had cat paws and a tail, not to mention feline facial paint. "Hey, what is she doing here, Jeremie! I thought we agreed she wasn't joining!"

"You're the only one who voted her out, Odd," Jeremie's voice corrected, smiling to himself, "And she obviously makes her own decisions."

"Oh, is it so terrible that I don't want my friend to get hurt?" Odd yelled. He looked said friend over. "Although, I have to admit that you look pretty cool."

"What?" Renata said. She looked down at herself, and she was dressed as a Roman warrior. Roman sandals covered her feet, a brown battle skirt was held at her waist, a silver Roman breast plate protected her chest, and a red cape that came down to her knees was falling down her back. A bright red scutum shield was attached to her arm and two small knives were in the sheathes of her belt. There was no helmet on her head, but a studded headband lining her forehead. Her hair was one of the strangest styles it had ever been in: long, curled pigtails falling to her shoulders. **(Google "surviving high school zoe." Two cartoons of a girl with brown hair will come up. The one without the headband has the hairstyle I'm talking about, only darker.)**

"Fits her perfectly," remarked Ulrich, who was dressed as a samurai and wielding a katana, "She's a Roman warrior."

"Well, her middle is Brunilda," Odd said, "That means 'armored warrior woman.'"

"Your middle name is Brunilda?" Ulrich snorted, laughing.

"Odd, I'll kill you," Renata growled, taking her knives from their sheathes. This would be easy. She was an expert at throwing knives.

"Hey, don't kill me," Odd protested frantically, "Kill _those!" _He pointed to some weird-looking creatures, which resembled crabs.

"What are _those?" _Renata asked, disgusted and taking a step back.

"They're called Krabes," Odd explained, "You see those things on the top of their heads that look like targets? Use your knives and destroy the monsters by hitting the targets. Like this: Laser Arrow!" He leapt up in the air and shot a spearhead-like arrow from his paws, the arrow hitting the "target" and detonating the Krab.

"Like this?" Renata said cockily, following Odd's suit by leaping into the air and flinging a knife at the Krab, which exploded.

"Good shot, Renata!" Jeremie congratulated, "According to these codes, you can summon your knives back by imagining them being in your hands." Renata followed the instructions, and sure enough, the hilt of her knife was once again in her grip. "Your Lyoko power is by saying the word, 'Adrenaline,' your physical capabilities are intensified. Meaning, you can jump very far distances and heights, as well as throw your knives exceptionally far."

"Sounds good to me," Renata smiled, "So, why are you guys here, anyway? Have you been ditching me just to play some video game?"

"Renata," Jeremie addressed sternly, "I promise you, we will tell you everything later. Oh, guys, introduce her to Aelita while I work against the plant."

"Ren, this is Aelita," Ulrich said, gesturing to a small girl with short, pink hair and dressed as some sort of nature princess, "She's kind of like an artificial intelligence here, on Lyoko. You see, when we're devirtualized, we appear back in the scanners. Aelita, however, will disappear forever if she gets hit. Our goal is to get her to that tower over there." He pointed to said tower, a very tall, white pillar with a brown, rooted base. "We have to protect her at all costs, understand?"

"I can do that easily," Renata assured, stepping in front of the pink-haired girl. A Krab fired a red laser, but Renata deflected it with her shield.

"Hey, is Yumi here?" Renata asked, pushing Aelita even further behind her.

"Once again, we'll explain everything later," Jeremie insisted testily.

"Okay, okay, I got it, Einstein," Renata said before chucking a knife at the shellfish and missing. She summoned the knife back. "No more questions."

"Come on! Only two Krabes left to go!" Odd shouted. A red beam came rocketing toward him, and soon, his body was disappearing, leaving rectangular pixels behind.

"Odd!" Renata screamed. As she did, she felt a bullet rip through her shoulder, and when she looked at her upper arm, it glowed a faint, electric blue before healing. It felt fine.

"Sixty life points left, Renata," Jeremie announced, "Keep Aelita safe, whatever you do!"

"Ren, you get Aelita to the tower while I take care of the Krabes," Ulrich ordered. Renata nodded and darted to the left, keeping Aelita behind her shield. A Krab shot a laser, but Renata knocked herself and Aelita out of the way. There was soon an open pathway to the tower.

"Hurry up, Aelita!" Jeremie urged, "The pylon can't take much more!" Two lasers hit Renata in the torso, triggering a rain of pixels to emit from her as she was devirtualized.

As she had been assured, Renata returned to the scanner from whence she had entered Lyoko. The doors opened, and nausea washed over her. She felt like her legs didn't even exist and fell forward. A pair of purple material-covered arms embraced her caringly.

"You probably don't feel too good," Odd said, supporting the girl in his arms, "It'll get better. Soon, you'll barely notice the devirtualization process." He slowly and steadily sat himself on the ground and pulled Renata onto his lap so her stomach was across his legs. He rubbed her back soothingly and held her gripping hand. He noticed a large, white light advancing upon them. "You ready for a Return Trip to the Past, Ren?"

…

A simple text from Jeremie on Monday morning: _My room._

Renata followed the text's instructions after getting ready. She lumbered downstairs and to the computer addict's room, where her friends were waiting.

"You sure took your sweet time," Ulrich commented.

"How long were you waiting, four minutes?" Renata asked. Ulrich remained sheepishly quiet. Odd patted the spot next to him on Jeremie's bed and Renata sat there.

"So, everyone, it's best to start off at the beginning," Jeremie said, turning to Renata, "Please save your questions until the very end. About a year ago, I was looking for material for some robots I was planning on making at the factory we were 'just at.' I found a very strange supercomputer and turned it on. What appeared on the screen was quite fascinating; diagrams of interesting pillars, computer codes, and the image of a virtual girl." He gestured to his computer screen, and Aelita's face was there. Renata waved, and the virtual princess waved back. Renata remembered the previous year. Ulrich had been her best friend, then. "At first, I thought it was a video game, but I discovered through some confidential files that it was much more. Eventually, I discovered that there were four sectors containing different landscapes- desert, mountain, ice, and forest- and that this virtual world was called Lyoko. Ulrich and Odd became my friends, soon, and one night Ulrich and I were going to test the scanners using Kiwi. Sissi and Odd tagged along, and when Odd rescued Kiwi from the scanners, he was trapped inside, instead. Ulrich went in after him and Sissi stayed behind. They were transported to Lyoko and fought monsters."

"You're telling _a lot _of the story, Jeremie," Ulrich said, "You know, Ren, you were actually there when Odd and I went to Lyoko. You didn't go with us because you had to stay with Sissi and keep her calm. For a while, we were kind of stumped on what everything was. But you knew about Lyoko and that we had fought, there."

"After Jeremie launched the first Return Trip to the Past from the supercomputer, you and Sissi couldn't remember a thing," said Odd, "Neither could Jeremie because he didn't enter the scanners, but he fixed that. After an attack, we realized that the activated towers there meant that something was trying to take over the world from Lyoko."

"That thing is called XANA," Jeremie said, "It's an evil, multi-agent, artificial intelligence that's obsessed with world domination. And we're its worst enemies. Those who enter the scanners can remember everything prior to the Returns. The Returns reverse any damage that XANA may have caused, except bring back the dead. I know what you're thinking: If something so dangerous came from an activated supercomputer, then why not just turn it off? You see, Aelita can't leave Lyoko until she's properly materialized, as in, with us, here on Earth. Have I found the code, yet? No. But when I do, we'll be able to free her from Lyoko and shut down the supercomputer for good."

"So, how'd Yumi get to Lyoko?" Renata asked.

"Oh, they needed three people to go, so I went with them," Yumi explained simply.

"If you needed three people, why didn't you just ask me?" Renata said, slightly hurt but obviously not showing it.

"You have no idea how stubborn and protective these two can be," Yumi said, gesturing to Ulrich and Odd, who looked embarrassed, "After realizing the danger we could put you in, we automatically decided against telling you."

"Contrary to that, a lot of attacks have been aimed at you," Jeremie told Renata, crossing his arms and legs.

"Yeah!" Odd piped up, "One time, this gigantic cord monster assaulted you, Sissi, Herb, and Nicholas! And this other time-"

"Thanks, Odd, but I was referring to the prom attack," Jeremie butted in.

"What do you mean?" Ulrich asked, confused, "There was no attack during the prom, only an activated tower."

"Or so you think," Jeremie intervened, "After a lot of research and discussion, Aelita and I have discovered XANA's motive of making all of us miss prom. The idea was to keep Renata and Odd from going so she'd break away from him. He stalled you guys with monsters for hours, Odd so he'd miss, and Yumi and Ulrich so they couldn't explain."

"So… a demonic multi-agent system activated a tower from a virtual world so he could make me miss prom with Odd and lose trust in him," Renata summed, "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! And why didn't you just launch a Return?"

"XANA used all of his power Sunday night to supply monsters and disable the Return process," Jeremie explained, "Fortunately, that's a one-time thing, and XANA used it at the wrong time. And XANA doesn't understand all human emotions. He knows about fear and stuff like that, but he doesn't understand compassion or forgiveness. He figured you wouldn't forgive Odd and that you'd break away from the group. He doesn't understand friendship."

"Or love, for that matter," Ulrich said, winking at Odd.

"So, after you guys launch a Return, XANA can't pull the same attack again, right?" Renata guessed.

"Exactly," Odd said. He put an arm around her. "And now, you're one of us: a Lyoko warrior!"

It took a few minutes for the entire idea to grind into Renata's brain, but she finally accepted it. "Okay, then. There's a virus called XANA, it activates towers to attack Earth, we go to Lyoko every time it attacks, we protect Aelita so she can deactivate the towers, and when she does, we launch a Return and only we remember it." Her friends nodded, and Renata smiled to herself.

Then her face fell. Her friends had just told her that they'd been fighting an artificial intelligence for less than a year, and she'd been keeping her secret for longer than that. Guilt swallowed her every day for keeping her life from them, but now she couldn't hide it. She had to tell them.

"Guys, I have to tell you something," she said. She led her friends to her room. "Have any of you ever heard of Staccato Circus?" She was doubtful of this. It wasn't very popular. They shook their heads in response, confirming Renata's assumption.

"Didn't think so," Renata said, "It's my family's circus."

Her friends looked betwixt each other, dumbfounded and wide-eyed. Renata had been half-expecting them to already know. Maybe she'd told them before and then a Return had been launched? Obviously, that wasn't the case.

"You're in a circus?" Yumi asked.

"Yeah," Renata said, sitting on the bed.

"How come you never told us?" Ulrich asked as he sat down next to her, keeping the perfect amount of distance. She loved that about Ulrich. Because they were so alike, he almost always knew exactly what she preferred, as long as it was relatively simple. Sometimes, she forgot that they weren't related and thought he really was her brother.

"You see, I came here mainly because I wanted to get away from the circus," Renata explained, "Don't get me wrong; I love it, I just didn't want to spend my entire life in Sicily, training for Cirque du Soleil."

"Cirque du Soleil?" Odd repeated, "You want to get in?"

"It's the dream of every member in the Staccato family," Renata sighed, "A cousin of mine got in, but no one else has. I came here because I wanted to find people outside of Italy. It was really hard to leave my sister, but I knew she'd be alright."

"Why did you want to meet people outside of Italy?" Yumi asked, "Italians are pretty nice."

"I… didn't have any friends in Italy," Renata admitted strongly.

"Join the club," said Yumi, "Before Ulrich pulled me into Lyoko, I didn't have any friends, either." This caused Renata's mood to lighten.

"I'm also on scholarship here because of the circus," she said, "The principal saw one of our performances. Look, you guys can _not _tell _anybody. _Treat it like Lyoko. It's sacred."

"No problem, our little gladiator," Odd promised, "Not a word to anybody! Lyoko warrior swear!" He outstretched his hand, and four other hands layered on top. "See, Ren? Not a word to anybody."

"Thanks, guys," Renata said gratefully, "So, when do our classes start?"

…

Renata had to relive taking her physics notes, chemistry lecture, math test, five-minute mile run, eating sour and grainy goat cheese in her salad, answering a question wrong in history, mispronouncing a large word in language arts, messing up the notes of her solo in music, and falling asleep in Italian.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way.

The group did "their homework" together in the library. Jeremie worked on his laptop, Yumi read the same sentence over and over in her chemistry textbook, Renata asked Jeremie for help on almost every question of her math homework, and Odd and Ulrich played paper volleyball from opposite sides of the table. Every now and then, Renata would glance at the library entrance in a paranoid way to see if Jim or someone else was coming, but nobody ever did.

Despite that Renata was now part of a team that fought an evil virus, she felt more relaxed than she had before she'd found out. Her fists were no longer constantly clenched, she wasn't always glaring at things, and her back didn't hunch over, anymore. Perhaps it was Odd's feline appearance on Lyoko, or the fact that Jeremie had found love in a virtual princess, or that throwing knives was as effortless in a world of sectors as it was in real life. She wasn't sure, but she liked the feeling of not being on edge all the time.

The group finished their homework before Yumi raced home. Jeremie, who was reluctant to remove the invisible adhesive connecting his face to his laptop long enough to walk without bumping into something, went back to his room. Ulrich went back to his room and his roommate said he'd walk Renata to her room.

"So, uh, Renata," Odd said as they came to her door, "Um… Whatdoyoumakeofourkiss?" His words came out at lightning speed.

Renata put her finger to her chin, pretending to think. "I make of it a romance between a purple cat and a Roman warrior." She opened her door and stepped inside.

"Hey, you're making my Lyoko avatar sound inferior to yours!" Odd exclaimed.

"Odd, your Lyoko avatar _is _inferior to mine," Renata teased, putting her messenger bag on the floor, her back turned to Odd. In that moment, the Della Robbia pounced on the Staccato from behind, knocking her onto the floor. "Odd!" she grunted.

"Yes, my superior Lyoko warrior?" Odd called to her playfully.

"Get off!" Renata ordered. He shifted his weight so the impact was greater, and she let out a wheeze.

"Am I hurting you?" Odd asked, making his face level with hers. Renata mentally smiled. Even when the two were roughhousing with each other, they were still majorly concerned for each other's well being.

"Please, a scrawny kid like you?" Renata teased again.

"I am not scrawny!" Odd cried, anger gracing his features, "I am sve- _oof!" _He fell to his side on the floor with a thud, as Renata had thrown him off of her.

Renata rolled on top of him, straddling his waist down with her hips and pinning his wrists to either side of his head with her hands. After struggling for a few seconds, Odd lay still, staring into the browns of Renata's eyes. She stared back into his. The infantile smirks playing on their faces vanished. Renata gently settled herself on top of Odd's chest and sighed, removing her hands from his wrists. One hand took one of his, while the other lazily outlined the purple splotch in Odd's peaked hair. With his free hand, Odd played with the hair of the ponytail falling down Renata's shoulder.

Renata broke the cycle by teasingly brushing her lips and nose against Odd's, just enough so she was out of his reach. His lips trembled in temptation, so Renata ended his misery by connecting their lips. Their mouths alternated between opening and closing several times long before the kiss ended.

"One of these days, I'm going to asked you to be my girlfriend," Odd stated.

"You'd better," Renata smiled.

…

**He he he… I include fluff in all stories. The next chapter will be pretty dramatic. Review!**


	5. Foeshock

**So, I'm late, again. What else is new? I might make another chapter for this Saturday, but... you know... it's highly unlikely.**

**Guest: Thank you so much for the review!**

**...**

Renata slammed her fist down on top of the moronic device that had woken her up from her slumber before weakly opening her eyes. The piercing and repetitive alarm ceased its ringing, much to Renata's joy. Unfortunately, said alarm had alerted Renata for a detestable reason: it was time to get ready for the day's classes. To add a bit of variety to her appearance, she styled her hair in its Lyoko form and actually ended up liking it.

XANA hadn't attacked since the Monday that the nuclear pylon had almost wiped out the entire city of Paris. It was Thursday, so Renata felt a bit excitement-starved, though she was well aware that XANA used time to build up power, and three days seemed like a while.

Now a bit more on edge for the day than she'd expected, the Italian sprinted lightly on her toes to the floor below. She knocked on the door of her "brother" and potential boyfriend's room. She was answered by Ulrich, who looked grouchier than usual.

"Kiwi?" Renata guessed, implying the assumption that the small dog had been getting on Ulrich's nerves in some way. The boy nodded gruffly and beckoned her to come inside. Confirming Renata's suspicion, Ulrich's bed was stained with a light yellow color that matched the salty smell swimming through the room. She wrinkled her nose at the ghastly odor. "Ugh, Kiwi!" she exclaimed.

"If you and the walking stomach still have your appetites after smelling that, I'll be in the cafeteria," said Renata, promptly exiting the room and going to the cafeteria for a bowl of oatmeal. Jeremie met her soon after and sat down next to her.

As always, Jeremie's face was nearly touching the laptop, so Renata quipped, "If you get any closer to that screen, Jeremie, Milly and Tamiya might have a scoop on a twelve-year-old making out with a computer."

"Just checking up on Lyoko," Jeremie murmured, his nimble fingers refusing to remain idle.

"Of course, what else would you be doing?"

"XANA hasn't attacked in three days."

"Isn't that normal?" She absentmindedly stirred her oatmeal around with her spoon.

"Yeah, but we usually see a few short circuits or something like that a day before an attack." He wiped a strand of blond from his forehead. "XANA's probably planning something huge."

"Whatever it is, we'll take care of it, Einstein," Renata assured confidently as she prepared a spoonful of oatmeal for consumption.

"I hope so," said Jeremie, his voice shaky. Renata couldn't help but roll her eyes. The genius was constantly paranoid, but she guessed he had a right to be. If she was in love with a virtual being, she'd have been worried, too.

The rest of the gang showed up at the group table by the time Renata had finished her breakfast and put her dishes away.

"Hey, nice hair, Ren," Odd commented, smiling and sitting down next to her.

"Looks like you took after your boyfriend-to-be," Ulrich teased, "Before he started styling like it its Lyoko form, Odd's hair was as flat as the surface of a coin." Renata caught herself before she snorted as Odd threw a filthy look to Ulrich.

"Oh, yeah!" Yumi exclaimed, "I remember that!" She took her phone out and scrolled through its contents. "I think I may have a picture... Ah ha!" She attempted showing the picture to Renata, but the view of the phone was knocked away by Odd, who shoved his open hands in front of it. The Della Robbia then smacked the arms of the girl next to him onto the table. In response, Renata forcefully shoved her arms into the air, which completely threw Odd backwards onto the floor. The image on the phone finally gained access to Renata's vision, and she soon found herself on her back, on the floor, next to Odd, hand on her forehead, laughing like she was on nitrous oxide.

"It's not funny!" Odd cried defensively as he sat up, crossed his arms, and pouted.

"It's hilarious," Renata objected, her laughter dying as she wiped a tear from her eye and put her arm around Odd's shoulders, "Oh, come on. It's only a haircut!"

The group proceeded to eat their breakfast and went to their first few classes without many thoughts. But about ten minutes into gym class, Renata heard some strange ringing in her ears. She shook her head multiple times to throw the sound off, but its volume only increased. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to her right to see the owner of the hand: Odd. He said something, but Renata couldn't hear him. From reading his lips through her blurry vision, she assumed that he was asking if she was feeling alright. Naturally, she lied by nodding, and naturally, he gave her a skeptical look. The nodding made some pain swell in her skull, and she put a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes in the process. Her body wavered, and without warning, she soon found herself on the floor.

"Ren!" Odd exclaimed, worriedly kneeling down next to the fellow Italian.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Jim demanded, approaching the Lyoko group, "Alright, back it up. Give her some room!" No one really listened to his instructions, instead the students crowded closer to her. He looked to Odd, who was feeling for a pulse. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Jim," said Odd, releasing Renata's wrist as he felt a light beat, "She just fainted."

"We'll take her to the infirmary," Ulrich said quickly.

"Who, you guys?" Jim questioned, scratching his head, "I think it's a much better idea if I take her."

"Well, Jim, you have a class to teach," Odd contradicted.

"Yeah, we'll be quick," Ulrich promised.

Jim gave the two a skeptical expression, but waved them off. "Fine, fine," he agreed.

"C'mon, guys," Ulrich said. He and Odd gathered the girl up in their arms, both carrying either sides of her. Jeremie grabbed her messenger bag and followed them out the door of the gym.

"We're not heading for the infirmary, are we?" Odd said as he handed Renata's body into Ulrich's arms.

"Are you kidding?" Ulrich asked, positioning his left arm so it was supporting Renata's head and neck, "This has 'XANA attack' written all over it."

"Or _maybe _she's been working too hard," Odd thought aloud.

"Odd, she eats only oatmeal, salad, and pasta every day," said Ulrich, "She runs a five-minute mile and could snap your neck like a toothpick. She's been that way for a long time, and I don't think it would take its toll on her at the beginning of gym class. She didn't just faint. She _doesn't_ just faint_._"

"I'm going to run a scan," Jeremie said, trying to diffuse the tension, "Ulrich, take Renata to the factory. Odd, get Yumi." He darted down the hallway and his friends did as he told them.

"Hi, Jeremie," Aelita greeted as Jeremie booted up his large computer, "Is something wrong?"

"Renata fainted in gym class, today," Jeremie said, typing furiously on his keyboard.

"You know, Jeremie, if you ask my opinion, maybe you're just being a bit paranoid," Aelita admitted carefully.

Jeremie shook his head. "No, Renata fainting... It's as unheard of as XANA being good." A beeping noise arose from the computer. "An activated tower!" He alerted his conscious friends of this via his cell phone.

...

"Transfer: Odd. Transfer: Ulrich. Transfer: Yumi. Scanner: Odd. Scanner: Ulrich. Scanner: Yumi. Virtualization!" Jeremie's voice said.

Renata's eyes flew open and she tried to sit up, but found herself paralyzed. "Jeremie?" she called.

"Renata's awake, guys," Jeremie said to the warriors on Lyoko, "Oh, and the activated tower is fifty degrees due south." He turned his attention to the girl on the floor. "How are you doing, Renata?"

"Immobile," the Staccato answered, hating the feeling of not being able to move, "Do you know what the attack is?"

Jeremie's face darkened. "Yeah, but you're really not going to like it."

"Not going to like what, Jeremie?" Odd's voice asked from Lyoko.

"From the research Aelita and I have done, it seems that Renata has been infected with some sort of bug," Jeremie explained, "The bug is called the foeshock. It relives any pain- emotional and physical- and gradually increases pain per minute."

"You mean... I'm going to re-experience all of the pain I've ever experienced in my life?" Renata questioned, fear in her eyes.

"Guys, you'd better deactivate that tower fast!" Jeremie urged, "I'm not sure how long Renata will hold out with that foeshock in her!"

Renata groaned as a stomach ache washed around inside of her. Her head punded with the beat of a harshly drumming headache, and she closed her eyes, which hurt her head more when they were open. She felt acidic vomit bubbling around in her throat, threatening to spill out of her mouth. She breathed rapidly; she'd read online once that breathing quickly dulls the oral disgorging process. She trembled in the sickly coldness that chilled her to the bone, though her forehead became so hot that she could sear a piece of meat atop it. Flame-like mucus scratched at her throat, making it painful to breathe.

"Jeremie," she croaked, her voice quieter than a whisper, "Jeremie, it's started!" She moaned as the arches of her feet were attacked by unbearable foot cramps.

"Uh, guys, hurry up, please!" Jeremie called.

"Einstein, we have a few 'friends' to take care of, just in case you've forgotten," Odd reminded him testily.

"Odd, the life of your future girlfriend is on the line," Jeremie reminded him even more testily.

Tears formed in the corners of Renata's eyes as the recurring electrocution of the cord monster bolted through her body. The bones in her right hand shattered themselves, freshly experiencing the pain of when she had punched the vending machine that hadn't given Odd his soup. Bullet-like ghosts of Lyoko monster lasers repeatedly hit her in the shoulders and stomach.

And then, the emotional pain hit. There was very much anger, and she nearly shouted at the top of her lungs from the overdose of enragement. However, something else replaced a smidgen of that feeling with dolorousness. An intense wave of melancholy crashed into her without warning, and the tears spilled. One after another, tear after tear, Renata sobbed and bawled. It was such a strange experience; she hadn't cried for the longest time, possibly a record in the form of years. She knew exactly why she was feeling such an emotion, and it only made her cry harder.

"Jeremie!" she screamed, writhing on the floor.

"Things are getting drastic, here!" Jeremie yelled at the fighting warriors, "What's the hold-up?" Yumi grunted as her image disappeared from the screen. Soon after, Ulrich and Odd followed her suit. "Oh no! This is a disaster! _Aelita!" _

"How's she doing?" Ulrich asked as her and the others rushed into the lab. Jeremie didn't answer, only buried his face in his hands.

"Isn't there something you can do?" Yumi cried desperately to Jeremie as she put her hands on Renata's shoulders. Ulrich took one of Renata's shaking hands into his own and silently stroked it as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Odd pulled the suffering girl's head onto his lap and held her other hand whilst picking individual strands of hair from her tear-stained face.

"Aelita, no!" Jeremie shouted, leaning forward in his chair.

"What's happening?" Yumi demanded, letting go of Renata's shoulders and racing over to the blond genius.

Ulrich and Odd shared a glance of silent communication. "You've got her?" asked the Stern.

"I've got her," the Della Robbia said quietly. Ulrich nodded and gently let go of his 'sister's' hand before going to Yumi's side.

This left Odd with Renata, who didn't know how to react to the strongest Lyoko warrior crying. He took her other hand so he was holding both of her hands in one of his. He stroked her hair and forehead with his unoccupied hand. Renata was taking her pain out on Odd's occupied hand, which she was strangling. She was almost ready to succumb. The others gasped at the screen of the supercomputer, and soon, a bright white light clouded Renata's vision. She wasn't sure if the light was that of Heaven or the Return to the Past.

...

_Please be okay, please be okay, _Odd mentally implored to Renata as he ran down the hall of the upper floor, his phone held to his ear, _Please, please, please be okay. _The phone kept ringing_. _She wasn't answering. His anxiety increased with his heartbeat as he sped to Renata's door and pounded on it. She didn't answer. Growing very afraid, Odd impatiently picked the lock and the door flew open before he sprinted inside.

Renata was on her back, braided hair thrown across her pillow and arms spread out every which-way. Odd put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. Her eyes wouldn't open. He shook her harder; her body sunk deeper into the mattress.

"Ren, wake up!" he shouted. Not so much as a single twitch of her fingers arose. "Ren..." His eyes filled with tears, which began to cascade down his cheeks just as Ulrich and Jeremie walked through the door. The moment they saw the tears, their hearts sank. Jeremie went over and put a hand on Odd's shoulders while Ulrich slammed his fist on the door frame. He was breathing hard to avoid crying. Odd was whimpering to accompany the tears, and Jeremie sniffled as his own tears washed the drowsiness from his face. Renata... She was dead. XANA had killed her, and none of them had been able to do anything about it.

Odd had never officially asked her to be his girlfriend.

"So, that's it, then," Odd said, sitting down next to Renata's head, "She's..." He was reluctant to use the proper word. "She's..."

"-gone," Ulrich finished for him. He closed the door and locked it.

"What're we going to do?" Jeremie asked, his voice trembling, wiping his eyes of tears from beneath his glasses.

"As of now," Odd sighed, "I don't know." He paused, drawing in a challenged wheeze of a breath. "I suppose we have to-"

"Would you guys_ please SHUT UP!" _a feminine voice commanded as a fist rammed into Odd's stomach, knocking him to the ground. The two other males looked to the source of the outburst. Renata was awake. Renata was _alive._

"Ren?" Odd asked, clutching his stomach as he climbed to his knees. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Ren, you're okay!" He instantaneously released his core from his grip and threw his arms around the girl, laughing like a maniac. Renata, slightly confused, looked to Jeremie, who was crying tears of happiness, and to Ulrich, who was wiping his own eyes and approaching her. Then it dawned on Renata: she'd almost died. The foeshock had nearly taken her. XANA had almost won.

...

The day didn't pass as an eventful one, and the group finished their homework just before twenty-two hundred. **(Whoops. I've been saying o'clock instead of hundred.) **Odd walked Renata back to her room. Both were rather exhausted.

"You going to be okay?" Odd asked, his voice full of concern.

"Come on!" Renata grinned, taking his hands and rolling her eyes, "It's me you're talking to! You think some little foeshock is going to scare me?" The truth was, she was very shaken up by the foeshock. It was the second-worst incident she'd ever experienced. "I'll be fine." She turned the handle of the door and pushed it open. She took a single step, but couldn't take a second without releasing Odd's hand, and she didn't want to let go.

"Ren?" Odd asked as he took a step toward her.

"I just-" she didn't know how to say it, nor did she look him in the eyes, "I can't... I don't..." She looked at his face. "I don't want you to leave." She said it very quietly.

He wrapped his arms around her. "I don't _have _to, you know."

She looked into his eyes, looking pitiful and infantile. "You don't?"

"Well, I'd have to go to my room to get ready, but I could spend the night in your room, if you want."

Renata's eyes lit up like the night sky filled with stars. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course!" Odd said, eager to do something for her.

Sure enough, the pair got ready for bed and Odd returned to Renata's room after leaving for a half an hour. Odd was wearing his usual sleepwear: a red t-shirt and orange shorts. He climbed into Renata's bed and lay on his back. Renata nevously curled up next to him, cautiously hugging herself closer to him. Odd put one arm over Renata's side and one on her head so she was thoroughly tucked into him. They fell asleep effortlessly.

**...**

**So... Not as dramatic as I promised, but I did my best. It's Christmas Eve- Eve! This also means it's my half birthday! I'm thirteen-and-a-half! I've decided that I'm just going to update whenever I want to, because this whole "every Saturday" thing obviously isn't working. Review, please! Oh, and have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, or however it is you celebrate!**


	6. A Heavy Heart

**areskickass13: Normally, I don't use profanity in a FanFiction, but this is an exception because it's a username. Thank you so much for reading my story, and much more, for reviewing it!**

**The,Nightmares,Before,A,Dream: Sorry I have to put your name into commas instead of periods, but if I put it into periods, FanFiction with pick it up as a website. Thank you so much for the review! That's one of the best reviews I've ever gotten! I'm not sure what in this story made you cry, but I'm touched that you did.**

**This chapter is in the memory of my neighbor, Mario, who passed away years ago from skin cancer. December 31, 2008- May 31, 2010. Rest in Peace, Mario.**

…

Renata felt Odd's warm breath flow across her jawline as her brown eyes fluttered open. His arm was coiled around her exposed stomach, just under her ribcage. Her breathing hitched when his hand moved slightly along her waist, tickling her in a strange way. She ran her hand along his, grasping its back lightly, and he unconsciously pulled her closer to him. She let out a very soft noise of surprise, like the mild opposite of a gasp. And though it was so quiet, Odd's eyes snapped open and he sat up and looked at the girl he was clinging to.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, turning her body to him.

"On the contrary, I think I woke you up," Renata admitted, rubbing her eyes. She turned away, realizing her actions. Not only did sleeping in the same bed with a boy wear away at some of her purity, but it had also made her look weak, vulnerable at best.

"What's wrong?" Odd asked, concern sweeping through his voice. He knew the answer she would give him, and then he knew the real answer.

"Nothing," said Renata as she fixed her shirt so it was covering her torso.

"Okay," Odd said, leaning back against the wall, "So, what's wrong?"

"Odd, I'm sorry," Renata said, sitting up with her back toward him.

"What? Why?"

"Because… That whole 'us sleeping in the same bed' thing, well, you see, it was…"

"The foeshock?" Renata nodded and Odd scooted next to her. "Ren, I realize this is a new concept for you, but you have to understand that it's okay to be vulnerable, sometimes. When is it going to wrap around your head that I'll take care of you when you need me?"

"You're right," said Renata, looking at the floor, "It _is_ new for me. It's just that, for years I've… Forget it. You already know what I'm going to say."

"Yeah, I do," Odd said, "But, you don't know what I'm going to say. Look, I know this isn't the most special or appropriate time to say this, but after thinking that I lost you to the foeshock, I regretted not asking you something. And that something was if you'll be my girlfriend."

Renata had heard a few times before that when you're about to enter a relationship with a person you really like, your heart beats like a butterfly's wings in your chest. She'd never really believed such a thing, but now, the aortic pump behind her ribcage was expanding and contracting seemingly faster than Renata's feet traveled when she ran her five-minute mile.

"So will you?" Odd asked, Renata now looking at him wholly.

Renata was stunned, to say the least. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and she couldn't close it all the way. Her mind, fuzzy and incongruously organized, couldn't give her technically vacant mouth any instructions.

"You can nod… or shake your head," Odd said, his face implying that his heart was shifting around in his chest. Renata slowly nodded her head, resulting in Odd's face lighting up.

"Alright!" Odd cried, punching the air above him with his fist, "Odd Della Robbia, the Casanova of Kadic Academy, has finally snagged Renata Staccato as his girlfriend!"

"Okay, Odd, don't make me regret saying yes," Renata said jokingly, "Oh, and if you ever tell anyone about this, you'll never walk, again."

…

The school got their Winter Break with two weeks before Christmas on the line. Odd had been angry about not being able to spend the New Year celebration with his family, but Renata had reluctantly reminded him that couples kiss at midnight on New Year's. Before leaving, Odd had pointed out some mistletoe above his head, and Renata accused him of being corny before pulling him into a kiss.

…

"Ah, infine!" Renata cried as she took her first step onto Kadic's campus in two weeks. **(Just in case you didn't know, "infine" means "finally" in Italian.)** She sped across the barren pavement of the sidewalk, yearning for the smell of Odd's hair gel, the clicking sound of Jeremie's laptop, the sight of Yumi's swift walk, and arm wrestles with Ulrich.

"Hey, Sis!" Ulrich called, coming through the dorm entrance and waving the girl over. Renata nearly dropped her bags before catapulting herself into his arms. "Whoa, separation-anxious much?" He said this as he hugged Renata's waist, and she hit him on the back of the head promptly, afterward. He hit her back, and they were soon separated from each other and having a brawl between emotionally-bonded siblings. "Hey, what's with the small waist, by the way? The holiday was meant for you to fatten up, a little."

Renata punched him in the arm, her knuckles digging into his bicep. "There's no such thing as fattening up in the Staccato famiglia."

"Neither is lightening up on the punches, either, apparently," Ulrich said, grinning painfully and rubbing his arm.

"Man up, you sissy," Renata smiled.

"Hey, Ren! Ulrich!" Odd called, running over to them and panting. He dropped his luggage onto the ground before throwing his hands on Renata's shoulders in an attempt to recover. He kissed Renata's cheek in greeting, after which Ulrich looked at him with a confused impression.

"Um… Am I missing something?" he asked as Odd put his arm around Renata's shoulders, which was difficult because he was shorter than her.

"You never told him?" Renata asked Odd.

"I thought you'd tell him."

"He's _your_ roommate!"

"He's _your_ brother!"

"Not technically."

"So, what is that you guys have failed to tell me?" Ulrich asked, interrupting the bickering.

"Ren is my girlfriend, now!" Odd announced proudly.

"Congrats, you two!" Ulrich said, smiling, "By the way, Odd, if you hurt her, I _will_ turn into a brother."

Odd rolled his eyes. "I think I'll be in much more danger if Ren gets to me, first."

"Believe me, I'd get to you, first," Renata warned.

The rest of the group met up soon afterward, and learned of the new couple of the gang before going to breakfast, where Odd piled his plate high with chocolate croissants.

"Odd, what is with all the food?" Ulrich asked, incredulous. If the Della Robbia had gone through some sort of spurt that required more food than his past intake, then his height and scrawniness wasn't showing for any of it.

"I have a sweet tooth, okay?" Odd bit, sitting down.

"You have a sweet tooth?" Jeremie asked, sarcastically shocked, "That doesn't explain how you ended up with Renata."

Renata was slightly offended, at first, but then looked to Jeremie with a look of disbelief on her face, as did the rest of the group. "Whoa, Einstein! Did you develop a comeback distributor over the break?"

"Yeah, when did the new wit grow?" Yumi asked.

"It grew the same day Odd's appetite increased," Jeremie said, "And I didn't even know that was possible!"

"Alright, so I may have received an extra helping or two," Odd admitted sheepishly.

"Or four," Renata and Ulrich said together, causing the group to chuckle.

"And so then, I told him that he could take his responsibilities and stick it up his-" a voice that could only belong to Sissi Delmas stopped short when the owner bumped backwards into the table of the Lyoko warriors.

"Sissi, you need to get a rearview mirror for when you're daydreaming about Ulrich," Renata informed the principal's daughter before taking a sip of her ice-cold milk.

"Oh, Renata, I certainly didn't miss you over the break," Sissi said snootily.

"The feeling is mutual."

"However, Ulrich, I definitely missed you," Sissi said, sitting on the table and leaning toward the mentioned brunette, "And I'll bet you missed me, too."

"You're as wrong as Rutherford when he predicted that electrons in an atom move in precise patterns," Jeremie said, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose. **(Sorry if I'm wrong about who predicted that. My science class learned about atoms and whatnot over a month ago, and I know someone thought that particles in an atom moved in precise patterns, when they actually go ape in that cloud.)**

"When did you grow a mouth?" Sissi sneered, though it was obvious that she was surprised.

"Listen, Sissi," said Ulrich, "It's not me, it's you." The group burst out laughing.

"It's because of Yumi, isn't it?" Sissi shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, including Rosa, "What does she have that I don't have?"

"Let's go alphabetically, shall we?" Renata said, "A is for Agility."

"No one asked you, Regina!" Sissi cried.

"It's Renata," Ulrich defended, "And you're right. You asked me. And I say, B is for Brain, obviously."

"C is for Caring about people other than herself!" Odd piped up.

"That's a bit of a mouthful, Odd," Renata said, "You could've just said Care for others."

"Depth," Jeremie continued.

"Efficiency," Renata said.

"Feelings from Ul-"

"Shut up, all of you!" Sissi screamed, jumping off the table as Herb and Nicholas shrunk back in fear, "First of all, Jeremie, I liked you a lot better when you kept your mouth shut!"

"You didn't like me more," Jeremie corrected, "You just hated me less."

"Yeah, you tell her, Einstein!" Odd cheered, balling his hand up for a fist bump with Jeremie, who refused it.

But Sissi had reached her limit. She grabbed Renata's bowl of oatmeal and threw it onto the ground in petty anger. In response, Renata nonchalantly stood up.

"Okay, now this has gone a bit too far," Renata said, "You came between me and my oatmeal."

"Oh, I supposedly go too far all the time!" Sissi cried, "You're always so defensive when it comes to the circus, and your family, and your friends-"

"Yeah, see, Sissi, that's kind of what friends _do," _Renata informed, "You know, look out for each other? I guess you don't understand real friendship because Herb and Nicholas see you as a GPS."

"Oh, you think you're so cool!" Sissi shouted. By now, everyone in the cafeteria had gathered around the two girls. "'Oh, look at me! I'm Renata! I'm so much better than everyone else because I never have any real fun! And I believe that everybody should automatically like me because I'm Italian! Woo hoo, I'm so special because I come from a circus, and I once saved my little sister's life, and I have a dead brother!'"

All was deathly silent as Sissi realized what she'd said. Renata's face fell. Elisabeth Delmas had just officially assigned her death wish. There were different things that you couldn't talk to Renata about unless you were speaking positively. There were things like her religion and way of thinking, Staccato Circus, and then things crossed into the topic of family, and to her little sister. But then, there was a forbidden realm, a level of such altitude on Renata's scale that the consequences of speaking of it were unimaginable. That realm, level, topic, or whatever you may call it focused on her late brother.

She shook with absolute rage. It was as if the last few threads of Renata's temper had snapped, and the emergency strings had been obliterated. Her mind was lost without a single thought as to what she would do. She just stood there, eerily still, her face molded into an emotionless mask. And then, her body took over without her mind. She found herself dragging her feet along the tile of the cafeteria floor, posture hauntingly erect, the students clinging to each other for dear life in fear of what the Italian girl would do.

"I'm sorry, Sissi, but I thought I heard you say something about my brother," Renata said, her tone falsely confused as she approached the girl with the flower on her shirt, "Oh, but no! I realized that sweet, _kind _Sissi would never_ imagine _doing such a thing. Just like I would _never_ kill you for it."

Sissi squeaked, petrified to her spot, as Renata bounded across the tile and sprang upon her. She clawed and punched and slapped, and Sissi only fell over, writhing.

"Hey, what is going on, here?" the voice of Mr. Delmas could hardly be heard above the screaming of the fighting girls. "Elisabeth! Renata? Someone has break these two apart immediately! Jim!" The physical education teacher was soon attempting to pry Renata from Sissi, but his efforts were ineffective.

"Staccato! I am going to count to three, and when I reach three, you had better be standing upright with your hands to yourself, or else you'll be in big trouble!" Jim warned, "One… Two…" Renata wasn't ceasing her ferocious fight.

"Jim, go get the nurse!" Mr. Delmas ordered, "She might have something to calm Renata down!"

And sure enough, a small needle was injected into Renata's arm before she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"For emergencies only," Dorothy said simply as she slipped the needle into her pocket.

…

"Renata, do you realize how much trouble you're in?" Mr. Delmas scolded, pacing behind his desk.

"Nope," Renata said in a lazily sarcastic way. The effects of the medicine she had been given was slowly fading. "In fact, I thought you would give me a scented sundae sticker for attacking a student on campus."

"This is no time for jokes, Renata!" Mr. Delmas shouted, "You could get into some serious trouble!"

"I could, but I choose not to," Renata thought aloud. This medicine was wearing away at her ability to restrict words from coming out of her mouth.

"You could be expelled!" the principal raved, "In fact, I just might do that. Attacking a student on campus is one thing, but the principal's daughter? Have you no common sense? She's a completely harmless young girl!"

"Signore Delmas, I don't know if you have cataracts, or if you're always working and can't go outside," Renata said, "but I think it's the fact that you have a daughter who only talks to you when she wants something that makes you completely blind. See, my papà knows exactly what I'm like. I'm a reckless, overprotective circus freak. I believe it is time you learned that your daughter is a narcissistic, self-absorbed, superficial, manipulative sadist from the fiery depths of Inferno!"

To say the least, Mr. Delmas was obviously taken aback. "You will go to your room while I contact your parents. Then, you will apologize to my daughter."

…

"This is a disaster," Renata mused aloud as she buried her face in her hands and fell backwards onto her bed. Saying she felt shameful was an understatement. She'd _attacked_ Sissi. The most she usually ever did was threaten her and then maybe put her into a finger lock. But a full-on attack? What had she done? And what would happen because of her actions?

A light rapping came from the opposite side of the bedroom door. "Ren?" Odd's voice called softly, "Can we come in?"

"Who's 'we?'" Renata asked, knowing the answer.

"All of us," Odd replied, implying the entire group of friends.

"It's open."

The friends stepped inside tentatively and locked the door silently upon entering the room.

"Are you okay?" Ulrich asked.

"Physically, I'm fine," Renata answered, "Emotionally… I'm a wreck."

"You're in trouble?" Jeremie guessed.

"Understatement of the year."

"Who's…" Yumi began, but stopped herself.

"The dead brother?" Renata said, her heart growing heavy, "Mario Lorenzo Staccato."

"What happened to him?" Ulrich asked delicately.

Renata drew in one of the hardest breaths she'd ever taken in. "When I was three, my mamma gave birth to my brother. He… was one of the cutest and happiest babies you'd ever seen. I loved him. I didn't mind that my parents paid more attention to him, because I was doing the same. And then, when he was just passing two years old, he was diagnosed with skin cancer. It was really hard on the entire family. I was too small to do anything, and my mamma was barely pregnant with Lucia. I felt like such a burden. We spent all of our money on his treatment and my education. I didn't go on any field trips, get any toys or candy or any of what a five-year-old would get. We couldn't afford it.

"I remember the very day so well. I was sitting in my chair in my kindergarten class, doing my spelling, and the teacher's phone rang." Tears began to appear in her eyes. "She answered it, and then told me that… I had to pack up all my things… and- meet my… parents out…side." The tears rolled down her cheeks, and she wiped them away with trembling hands. "He… He was getting be-better! One minute, he was sm-smiling, and the next, he was all… cold and… still." The gasps of weeping escaped from her mouth without permission. Ulrich rubbed circles onto her back so lightly that she barely felt it. Everyone's eyes welled up. It took a few minutes before Renata could continue.

"I cried so hard at the funeral. I didn't know why he had to go. He was just gone," she sobbed, "And a few months later, Lucia was born. I was six, then, and something in my head clicked. I stopped crying every time I walked by Mario's room. I… I took charge as the older sibling. I'd come home every day and sit by Lucia as I did my homework. I held her hand everywhere we went, protected her from bullies. I… didn't want… anything like… what happened to Mario… to happen to her."

Everything was silent for a while before Yumi wiped her cheeks of several tears and said, "Renata, I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She embraced the girl tightly. This was different from the boys hugging her. Yumi had a little brother to take for granted. Renata was certain that Yumi would be more careful about what she did with and around Hiroki after hearing the tale of Mario's passing.

"Thanks," Renata said, hugging her back. They released each other. "You know, when the foeshock hit, Mario was all I could think about. I couldn't get my mind off him."

"Shush," Odd said quietly scooting over to Renata and scooping her hand into his, "It's over, and we're sorry."

A beeping noise arose from a certain laptop. Renata was grateful. She didn't like attention if she wasn't cracking a joke or performing in the circus. Jeremie threw an apologetic look to Renata, who gave him a reassuring smile through the tears.

"Uh, Aelita?" he called softly, wiping his blue eyes under his glasses, "What's happening on Lyoko?"

"A few pulsations here and there every few minutes," Aelita's soft voice replied. She gave the computer genius a look of concern. "Is something wrong, Jeremie? Why is there water on your face?"

"I'll explain, later," Jeremie said, wiping the remaining tears. Aelita looked downcast at the lack of information. "I will! I promise. We just have bigger fish to fry, right now." He looked up at his friends. "Have any of you noticed anything around the school?" They shook their heads, and Jeremie shrugged to Aelita. Another, louder, beeping sprouted. "An activated tower!"

"Okay, let's go," Renata said, standing up as she fought to forget about the previous conversation.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Ulrich said skeptically as he stood up.

"Me neither," Odd nodded, standing up, as well, "A lot has happened today, and we don't know if you should fight."

"I didn't get to fight last time because of that stupid foeshock!" Renata said loudly. She relaxed slightly. "Can I at least come to the factory with you? I know we'll launch a Return, but I _really_ don't want to have to deal with Delmas or miei genitori." **(That means "my parents" in Italian. At least, I hope it does.)**

"That's a good point," Yumi admitted, "Guys, let's just take her with us. That way, if we're all devirtualized, she can go."

"And I'll stay here," Ulrich announced, "I'll try and find out what XANA has up his sleeve."

…

"Transfer: Odd. Transfer: Yumi. Scanner: Odd. Scanner: Yumi. Virtualization!"

Renata ground her teeth in annoyance and nervousness. Her friends were doing God-knows-what on Lyoko and at school and she wasn't a part of it. She'd already missed one mission completely, and she didn't want to miss another. However, she was standing next to Jeremie with her teeth grinding together, shuddering at the thought of the principal searching for her on campus.

Speaking of such a scenario, Ulrich's identification number came up on the supercomputer screen, accompanied with light beeping.

"Ulrich?" Jeremie greeted into his headset, "What's XANA doing to the school?" There was a pause as Ulrich answered. "What?"

"What is it?" Renata asked, not showing her concern.

"Apparently, XANA's pulling a strange classic," Jeremie informed, "According to Ulrich, all of Kadic's faucets are on, and the whole school is flooding! XANA has some bolt of electricity waiting to enter the water when it gets high enough so the whole school will be electrocuted!"

"Wow," Renata said, the thought of the student body burning to a crisp in electrification spiraling through her mind, "Seems like XANA's having a tough time brainstorming attack ideas, huh?" **(Pfft, more like Agent's having a tough time brainstorming. XP)**

"Seems like it, but it's still dangerous," said Jeremie.

More or less than ten minutes passed, and in that time, Yumi was devirtualized.

"Odd, you're not too far away!" Jeremie urged, "The tower should be dead ahead! Renata, call Ulrich and see how he's doing."

Renata was already doing so. "Ulrich? How's it going?"

"The water is already past our thighs," Ulrich said, "But other than that, things are going just swimmingly, if you'll forgive the expression."

"Okay, just checking," Renata sighed, "Keep me posted."

"Will do." They both hung up.

"The water's getting pretty high for ten minutes in," Renata told Jeremie as Yumi walked in, "How are Odd and Aelita doing?"

"Not too good," Jeremie replied as he adjusted his glasses, "They have two Bloks and a Megatank to take care of before they get to the tower." Two blasts sounded. "Make that one block, one Megatank, and no Odd. Oh, man!"

"I'll go," Renata decided. Without room for protests, she sprinted to the scanner room and Jeremie virtualized her.

The impact of the purple-grey of the mountain sector's surface was absorbed by the balls of Renata's feet. Her brown eyes searched her surroundings for Aelita, the monsters, and the tower. She found said pink-haired girl not too far away, at the mercy of a Blok, holding her arms up in defense.

Renata's knife found itself embedded in the symbol of the Blok before the monster could shoot. The knife returned to her hand as she pulled Aelita from the Megatank's line of fire. The girls took cover, squatting behind a large boulder. Renata also noticed that her shield was gone.

"Hey, Jeremie?" Renata asked curiously, "Where's my shield?"

"Remember how you said it drags?" Jeremie said.

"You fixed it?" Renata said, ecstasy sparking in her eyes. **(The feeling, smart one. Not the drug. -_-)**

"Yup!" Jeremie exclaimed proudly, "I divided it into individual pixel sets and miniaturized each set, so they were small enough to wrap around your arms!"

"Jeremie, you're a genius," Renata worshipped as she looked down. Sure enough, two red shields were layered over her forearms. She prodded one with her knife, and she felt nothing.

"I try."

"So, what do Megatanks do?" Renata asked Aelita.

"It'll split open into two halves," Aelita explained, "The XANA symbol is inside and you'll see it when it opens. A huge laser ray will be shot. You don't want to be directly in front of or behind it when it's about to fire."

"Got it," Renata said, "And I assume that it'll try to run us over?" Aelita nodded. "What's our best bet on getting past it?"

"Following your instincts," Aelita urged, shrugging.

Renata had a great number of top-notch instincts, and she knew that this would be easier said than done. "Stay here," she instructed Aelita. She cautiously stepped out from behind the boulder and wielded her knives, one in each of her ambidextrous hands. The Megatank split open and its XANA symbol was revealed. Rings of orange light bounded from the circular target in preparation for firing. A gigantic ray of bright orange shot from the Megatank, and Renata leapt out of the way in the nick of time.

"Do you mind picking up the pace?" Jeremie asked, "Ulrich's feet can't touch the floor, anymore!"

"Patience, Einstein!" Renata called back, her temper flaring. She drew all of her concentration into the knife in her left hand, picturing its point embedded perfectly into the center of the XANA symbol. "Adrenaline!" She chucked the sharp dagger, and it hit the target, detonating the giant monster. "Go on, Aelita."

Aelita raced to the tower with Renata running behind in case there were more monsters to take care of. There were none, much to the relief of both girls. The dark brown, opaque-translucent base of the tower absorbed the virtual princess into its domain.

Less than a minute later, Aelita's voice rang through Lyoko. "Tower deactivated."

Soon after, Renata heard Jeremie say, "Return to the past, now."

…

"What did you say, Sissi?" Renata asked. The Delmas had just completed her impression of the Staccato, and Renata was fighting not to pounce on her, again.

"I… uh…" Sissi stumbled, taking a step backward.

"Sissi, you ought to learn to control your mouth," Renata said, glaring, "Making fun of me for having a dead brother is really low. Say you're sorry."

"I…" Sissi began, "I am sorry." She looked genuinely apologetic, her face resembling guilt. "I'm sorry for mentioning your brother's death, and I'm sorry for his passing, altogether."

Renata nodded approvingly. "Thanks, and I forgive you," she said before sitting down. She then noticed the fallen oatmeal at her feet and began to clean it up. Sissi joined her in silence, retrieving napkins and wiping the hot cereal off the tile. Save for the Lyoko warriors, everyone in the cafeteria was staring at them in awe, bewildered and maladjusted to the idea that they were working together without biting each other's heads off. Yet, there they were, scooping oatmeal into paper towels without saying a word.

All was well, that day.

…

New Year's Eve was celebrated with a party at Kadic. As expected, Odd went with Renata, but Yumi and Ulrich didn't go as a couple.

Renata sighed at Yumi and Ulrich from a distance. "Guess those two can't stay in the romance zone for too long."

Odd shook his head.

"Everyone, everyone!" Mr. Delmas' voice shouted over the ruckus of the party, "It's only fifteen seconds until 2004!" **(The show first aired in 2003, I'm setting the story in 2003. I don't care if it's 2013.) **"Ten seconds! Nine… eight… seven…" The entire room chanted with him. "six… five… four… three… two… one! Happy New Year!" They all cheered, and Renata grabbed Odd by the lapels of his purple jacket and kissed him for seven seconds.

When they pulled apart, their gazes shifted to Ulrich and Yumi. Yumi seemed to be laughing at Jim, who was shouting at Emily LeDuc and Mathias Burel to keep their dancing "face-to-face with space." Ulrich, however, was standing completely still, going through a mental dilemma. He seemed to be fighting with himself, making slight, shaky movements similar to minor spasms. At last, he came to a decision.

Ulrich grabbed Yumi by the shoulders, stood on his toes, and had his first kiss with her or any other girl.

…

**So what if I ended on a Yulrich moment? And sorry about the lack of Rodd romance. Don't you worry! I will put it into the next chapter. And, I also apologize for this chapter's choppiness. I just wanted to fit everything in, and some of the stuff I wanted to squeeze in will probably end up in the next chapter, which will have more Rodd romance, so long as you review!**


	7. Fourteen

**A/N: I feel super guilty about the last chapters being so Rodd-starved. This chapter will be all Rodd! It will also be short because I'm going through Writer's Block and FanFiction suicide. FanFiction suicide is when you feel like deleting a multi-chaptered story, in case you didn't know.**

**CT10698: Fear not, my friend! This chapter shall revolve solely around Rodd!**

**S.L. Della Robbia: You reviewed, again! Thank you so much for the compliments! You should know that when I began dedicating fanfics to people, you immediately came to my mind when the idea of this story was born. Anyway, I give you multiple thanks for reviewing!**

**areskickass13: Aw, thank you so much! I obviously feel guilty about ending the previous chapter on Yulrich, but your patience shall be rewarded in this chapter!**

…

A punch in the stomach was what Odd earned upon waking Renata up for her birthday.

"You know, sometimes when I come in, I think you're awake and you just want a reason to punch me," Odd wheezed, clutching his stomach. He climbed onto the bed.

"Man up," Renata grumbled, though she smiled lightly as she snaked her arms around Odd's waist.

"Do you want me to leave?" Odd asked, figuring she'd want to get dressed.

"Yeah, that's why I'm practically attaching myself to you," Renata said sarcastically, slumping lower against the headboard of the bed so Odd wouldn't feel weird about being shorter than his girlfriend.

"Good, 'cause I wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" Odd cheered, "And I understand this is last minute and you're a boulder when it comes to moving you from your opinion, but how about that birthday present, huh?"

"You know the answer," Renata groaned. Odd had been asking about what Renata wanted for her birthday for just over a week, and it was seriously getting on her nerves.

"My sisters always told me that when a girlfriend says she doesn't want anything, it means she really wants something," Odd recited before crossing his arms on top of Renata's head. He tried to make eye contact with her. "So, you want something. _I can smell it off of you." _

"And I can smell decaying corpse off of you," Renata said, pulling away from Odd and holding her nose with her fingers, "When's the last time you took a shower?"

Odd shrugged. "Last night," he said, "I think the smell is from my clothes. I haven't done laundry in a while."

"I don't even want to know how long a while is," Renata said, shaking her head, "But no wonder you smell like you're wearing an extra spray of Eau de Kiwi." Between the perfume of his hair gel and the stench of his shoes, not to mention the odor Kiwi left behind, Odd was nearly never much of a scented candle. However, his habit of not showering or doing laundry pushed Renata over the edge. "I know what I want for my birthday. I want you to take a shower and put on some clean clothes."

Odd stood up and bowed. "Your wish is my command, O Gorgeous One." Renata blushed and Odd kissed her on the corner of her mouth. "Happy birthday, and see you later, Ren!"

That boy was insane.

...

"Come on, Ren!" her friends whined as she rejected a slice of vanilla cake that was being shoved in front of her.

"You can't reject cake on your birthday!" Ulrich said, "You're fourteen, now!"

"What does my age have to do with anything?" Renata questioned, her knuckles white from the grip on the strap of her messenger bag. The rich aroma of the celebratory pastry in front of her was all too tempting. The frosting was a soft yellow from the excess of vanilla extract.

"Just eat it!" Odd urged, "Rosa made it just for you! And if you don't eat it, it's an insult to her cooking."

"Baking," Jeremie corrected over his shoulder before turning back to his laptop to work on the materialization program with Aelita.

"Whatever," Odd grumbled, waving his hand. He held the plate out so the cake was directly in front of Renata's mouth and under her nose. "If you do not eat it, you shall wear it. This cake will be your new makeup." He paused, a smirk playing on his face. "Not that you need makeup."

"Odd!" Ulrich scolded, "That's my sister! Save the flirtatious mush for when you two are alone!" **(Oh, I intend to, Ulrich.)**

"Calm down, Monsieur Overprotective," Odd whined, setting the cake down in his lap, much to Renata's relief, "And don't you go talking to me about flirty public mush when you're feeding your girlfriend my girlfriend's birthday cake like you're newlyweds!" Indeed, Ulrich had been feeding Yumi cake via a fork, and Odd's verbal observation of this made the pair blush.

A feminine giggle erupted from Jeremie's computer, and everyone in the physical world looked over to the virtual girl.

"Hey, Aelita!" Renata called happily, waving and rejecting the cake in Odd's hands, "How are things on Lyoko?"

"All's well, thanks for asking," Aelita replied, smiling, "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks!" Renata said.

"Ren, eat it!" Odd interjected. He made a strange position with the fingers of one of his hands. "You want to eat the cake," he said in a strange voice, moving his hand in a wave across the fellow Italian's face.

"That was a failed attempt at impersonating a hypnotist," Renata remarked.

"It was a Jedi!" Odd cried, throwing his hands in the air. **(It's funny because I've never seen Star Wars.)**

Aelita giggled again. "Why do you want her to eat the cake so bad?" she asked Odd.

"Because it's her birthday, and I'd like her to be happy, for once," Odd replied stoutly. This earned a large "Awwwwwww..." from Yumi and Ulrich, who feigned admiration. "Shut up," Odd grumbled, crossing his arms like a young child after a failed tantrum. His friends, even Jeremie, laughed.

"I've done some research on your kinds of birthdays," Aelita said after the laughter died down, "And I understand that you give each other presents. Has your family sent you anything?"

"Miei genitori sent me a dartboard, actually," Renata said, beaming. Her parents had gone through a lot of paperwork, phone calls, and lectures from the principal before she could get the dartboard. She secretly appreciated the effort more than the present, itself. "And Lucia made me a card with the cutest little drawing in the world!" She withdrew mentioned card from her messenger bag. The card was flamboyantly decorated with colorful paper shapes. She unfolded it and a bubbly drawing of two girls- one greatly taller than the other- was revealed. The stick figures were holding hands and smiling.

"You're right, that is cute!" Aelita mused, grinning widely.

"And speaking of presents..." Odd said, his voice trailing.

"Yeah, I'm not telling you," Renata said, "It's the duty of the family of the birthday person to get the presents."

"And we're family, aren't we?" Ulrich asked, gathering some vanilla frosting onto his fork.

"Exactly," Yumi agreed, "You and Ulrich are brother and sister-"

"Not technically," Renata interjected.

"-and you and Odd will be married, some day," Yumi finished quickly, ignoring Renata and grinning at the blushing faces of the Italians in the room.

"No torturing the birthday girl, Yumi," Renata scolded, rubbing the nape of her neck and looking at the floor.

"When the birthday girl eats her birthday cake, I'll oblige," Yumi retorted.

"I agree," said Odd as he once again elevated the cake to Renata's face.

"Odd, get that cake out of my face, or your eye will match your outfit," Renata warned, though she was on the verge of succumbing to the heavenly aroma of the vanilla.

"One bite," Odd insisted, holding a lump of moist cake on his fork.

"That piece is the size of Sicily, itself!" Renata all but shouted, her eyes widening.

Odd brought the piece to her lips, the frosting staining her lips. "How can you be Italian and not like food?"

"How can you eat so much and still be so scrawny?" Renata retorted, backing away from the cake. Frosting remained on her frowning lips, and she knew she would end up welcoming that cursed vanilla into her mouth via her tongue the mere instant Odd tore his hard gaze from her.

"I am not scrawny!" Odd cried defensively, "I. Am. Svelte!"

"Okay, Odd," Renata chuckled, "Sure." She stood up and stretched, wiping her mouth with a dark green sleeve. "Well, I have to go call mia famiglia."

"I'll walk you to your room," Odd offered happily. And off they went.

"You know, Ren, there's something about you that arouses a curiosity within me," Odd spoke with a British accent and put a finger to his chin, as if in thought.

"And that would be?"

"Why you're stubborn beyond belief!" he huffed. "Honestly, you don't want presents or cake _on your birthday!"_

"So?" Renata said, as if it was normal to reject such things on such a day.

"For Lord's sake, it's your birthday!" Odd said again.

"I'm only another year older," Renata said, shrugging.

"You're insane."

Brief shoves and exchanges of roughhouse moves occurred, and Renata and Odd soon found themselves on the floor, in the middle of the hallway, no less.

So, of course, Jim had to round the corner at that very moment.

"What's going on, here?" Jim barked, fists on his hips.

"We're just untangling ourselves," Renata grunted. Odd's face was a tomato, as he had landed on the girl's back, their cheekbones touching. Normally, they'd take no mind to something like this if they were alone, or maybe even if their friends were around, but with a teacher nearby, especially Jim, cheeks touching was a blush-worthy action.

"Hey, Staccato, I was actually hoping I'd run into you," Jim admitted, offering a hand to help up the girl he was talking to, "I wanted to give you this." He held out a metal, cylindrical bottle. "Your old water bottle was leaking, so I took it upon myself to get you a new one. This one will keep your water nice and cold. Happy birthday."

Renata took the bottle, staring at it in her hands. She'd never received a present from a teacher. "Th-Thanks, Jim." She couldn't find any other words to say.

"Yeah, well, it's important to stay hydrated," Jim informed. The adolescents knew all to well where this was going. "I learned that when I was dying of thirst inches away from the peak of Mount Everest." They knew that this was false. You couldn't dehydrate on the top of a snow mountain.

"You climbed the Himilayas?" Odd asked, knowing the answer.

"Actually, I'd rather not talk about it," Jim grumbled, "Get to class."

"It's sabato, Jim," Renata pointed out as she put the water bottle in her messenger bag, "Classes for the day are over." **(Sabato means Saturday.)**

"Well, all the same," Jim murmured gruffly, "Get to wherever it is you were headed." He pushed past them, going to God-knows-where.

"So you can take a gift from our gym teacher, but you can't take a gift from your own boyfriend?" Odd complained as they walked through the halls. He was obviously annoyed, and Renata detected a fragment of hurt in his voice.

"It's hardly a gift," Renata said steadily, "It's practical. Gifts are frivolous."

"Whatever," Odd sighed. Because her thoughts often cleared when she was doing some kind of exercise, Renata realized that Odd really only wanted her to be happy all the time, not just on her birthday. He only wanted to be responsible for her happiness. In all honesty, the main reason she didn't want Odd to get her a present was that she didn't know what she wanted and feared that he would buy her something like jewelry.

"Ren, you mean half the world to me, but oftentimes you set my teeth on edge," Odd said.

"Surprisingly, I actually get that a lot."

"It doesn't surprise me."

After minutes more of silent walking, they reached Renata's room, upon which the girl invited him inside. The heat of the argument was still with them, so as soon as the tumblers of the door lock sounded, Renata pounced on Odd, once again. However, this light brawl was more for the enjoyment of the two. Odd began to tickle Renata, who began to fear that anyone walking outside would hear her laughter and make up some strange rumor. But soon enough Renata gripped Odd's hands, restricting his movement, and he said "uncle" before she could pin him to the ground.

Renata smirked as she leaned against the base of her bed and Odd sat next to her. They silently scooted closer and closer, their eyes trained on each other. Soon their faces were very close.

"Don't you have to call your parents?" Odd whispered as soon as their noses and foreheads were touching.

"They can wait," was all Renata said before connecting her lips to Odd's.

It undoubtedly sounded corny, but a bursting sensation of- Renata couldn't help but call them this- fireworks that shot and coursed through her body like liquid fire that couldn't properly be called magma always thundered through her insides whenever she kissed Odd. He brought his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks and bringing her head even closer to his. She returned this by weaving her palms around his neck, which was warm against her cold hands. He shivered.

They broke apart all too soon for Renata's liking. She found herself starving for more of Odd's lips. But like dealing with the birthday cake, she controlled herself, and the starvation faded.

"I have something for you," Odd said abruptly as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a tiny box wrapped in newspaper. Renata took it into her hands, the newsprint staining her fingertips.

"Odd, I thought I told you not to get me anything," Renata scolded quietly.

"You did."

Letting her stubbornness go, Renata tore the newspaper off and opened the box. Inside rested a bracelet. At first, Renata's mental reaction was a sarcastic cheer, but she stared at the wrist jewelry. It was made of garnet and had a tiny cross dangling from the middle, acknowledging her Catholicism.

"I know jewelry isn't really your thing," Odd began, "But when I saw this I thought of you. Garnet is the birthstone of January, and since red is your favorite color, I thought I'd get it for you." **(Really though, guys, you have no idea how perfectly this works. Having Renata's birthday on January 26th makes her an Aquarius, and garnet is the birthstone of January. And it worked even more that garnets are red and red is Ren's favorite color. Also, the garnet represents friendship and faith, so I was like, "Yes! This is perfect!")**

"Odd, this is perfect," Renata breathed, "Thank you." Odd smiled a relieved smile before fastening the bracelet to Renata's wrist.

"A perfect bracelet for a perfect girl," Odd said, smirking.

"Oh, you just had to ruin the moment with your cheesy lines," Renata scolded, laughing, the shade of her face resembling the color of the garnet.

"Happy birthday, Ren," was all Odd said before planting a short kiss on Renata's smiling lips.

...

**So, uh... yeah. I know it's disappointing. I apologize. I also apologize for the huge amount of time it took for me to write this. I seriously need to start planning these stories out better. So, review please?**


	8. Accident

**So, my last attempt at this chapter sucked like a baby on a pacifier. I'm also late, surprise, surprise. Thank you to those who reviewed, though!**

**SCREW YOU, WRITER'S BLOCK!**

**...**

After much hard work, the Lyoko Warriors had finally done it. Aelita was now a member of Earth, as well as Renata's roommate. Aelita and Jeremie immediately became a couple, as they had been waiting for a relationship for over a year. The previous virtual being also posed as Odd's cousin from Canada with parents who worked in the computer industry. Naturally, Renata grew to be extremely protective of her new roommate.

A couple of weeks passed and Aelita became accustomed to Kadic's schedule. She had become very well-liked among her classmates, but still stayed with her warriors during lunch and such activities. Another new student had also joined, his name being William Dunbar. He generated feelings toward Yumi, who stuck to Ulrich's side so to avoid the new student.

"Ew!" Sissi hissed as the overpowering stench of formaldehyde trespassed into her nose, "Uck! That's disgusting!" She made to clench her nose with her gloved fingers, but Renata stopped her.

"Sissi, as much as I would love to let you rot under the fluids of a frog cadaver, I need you to not touch anything until you take your gloves off," Renata said as she brushed frog eggs from her dissection tray, "And before you get any ideas, you're not allowed to take your gloves off."

"They shouldn't expose kids to stuff like this!" Sissi whined.

"According to the argument you had with your father about that low-cut top you got, you're a woman," Renata pointed out, recalling the conversation she'd once eavesdropped on, "Pass the scissors."

"What do you need scissors for?"

"I want to cut off this thing's head so I don't have to build a miniature guillotine," Renata replied sarcastically.

"How're things going?" Odd's voice whispered in Renata's ear.

"Wonderful," Renata said through her teeth, "It goes without saying that I wish I had a different partner. However, Mr. and Mrs. Belpois over there look like they're having a jolly good time." Indeed, Aelita and Jeremie were both blushing quite a lot, each of their hands on a single scalpel.

"Well, they're the only ones," Odd said, "Ulrich is texting Yumi, so I have to dissect this disgusting thing by myself."

"You're telling me," Renata said, "I have to listen to Sissi rant about what she doesn't have to cut open and examine."

"Hey, the rest of us were thinking of hitting the town and going for some ice cream," Odd said, "You gonna come?"

"I-"

"And don't you dare say anything about not getting ice cream," Odd warned, "I don't want to hear it."

"I'll come," Renata sighed, "But I'm having-"

"Yeah, yeah, a practical snow ball with tropical fruit on top," Odd groaned, "Only a masochist like you could call that dessert."

"And yet, a glutton like you adores me anyway," Renata said, her eyelashes fluttering in a ditzy way as she acted like Juliet Capulet.

"Yes, I do," Odd said cheekily before planting his lips on Renata's cheek when Mrs. Hertz wasn't looking.

... **(A bit of a time skip. Our heroes were in the ice cream shop, and-)**

"And don't even get me started on the Calcium intake when it comes to consuming 2% milk," Jeremie said.

"Oh, we hope not to," Renata groaned, "Honestly, how long are you two going to debate about the accuracy of nutrition facts?"

"What's stopping them?" Odd whispered, "They're equally-matched, competitive geniuses in a romantic relationship. They'll be arguing until they're too old to have children."

"I thought you cared about this kind of stuff, Renata," Aelita piped up, "After all, you're on a bit of a diet, right?"

"Hey, I follow the food triangle perfectly," Renata said defensively, though she cracked a smile as she said it.

"Actually-" said Jeremie.

"I don't want to hear it!" Renata said loudly, "I'm lean, I'm mean, and I'm a circus machine. I don't need to hear about your debatable criticisms."

"Amen," said Yumi, smiling against Ulrich's arm around her shoulder.

After much more debate and ice cream consuming, the group left the shop, three pairs of people holding hands.

"What do we do, now?" Aelita asked as some cars drove across the roads of the intersection in front of them.

"We wait until that electric sign shows a picture of a person walking," Jeremie said. And when the image came, Aelita let go of Jeremie's hand and ran across the crosswalk.

As Aelita darted across the crosswalk at an abnormal pace, Renata's breathing hitched, a chill spiking in her spine. Her skin crawled with chills as an uneasy feeling bubbled under her ribcage. Her instincts were flashing like blinding lights, screaming at her to get out of there, get her friends out of there, get Aelita out of there.

_Aelita._

Renata's eyes wandered to an isolated lane in the street, her heartbeat quickening. Wihtout knowing what she was doing, she sprinted across the street, Odd's concerned shouts washing around in her mind fuzzily. A single car, small and black, was speeding down the road, leaving skid marks on the street and scratches on cars that were too close. There was no driver, just the car, and Aelita, who was about to be hit.

Fears of death and injury and failure spiraled through Renata's mind as she raced forward. Usually, when she did something as self-sacrificial as this, there was never a doubt or worry in her mind. She'd just do it, not worrying about the consequences. Thoughts about her outcome hadn't crossed her mind when she threw herself in front of that cord monster so Odd wouldn't get electrocuted. Maybe this time, the consequences would be fatal for her. Maybe she was getting this feeling because she wouldn't survive.

All of those fearful thoughts melted as Renata leapt forward, her hands in between Aelita's shoulder blades. She exerted all the force she could on the tiny girl, letting out a fierce grunt. As Aelita was conserved from the way of harm, the frint of the black automobile collided with the back of Renata's head at full speed. She felt like Hercules had just punched the back of her head with titanium gloving his fist. The entire world began to whirl around and wouldn't stop. She closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to settle, but instead, her eyes remained closed as she lost consciousness.

In spite of the fact that the intersection was thrown into complete pandemonium, Odd felt as if the entire world was still and quiet. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Renata, who lay sprawled, face-down on the ground, blood escaping from her skull at a rapid pace. The crimson stained her brown locks as the offending car sped off. Jeremie rushed to Aelita to console her and check to make sure it was alright. Soon, Ulrich was restricting Odd with all his strength as Odd fought against him, trying get to his girlfriend.

"Ulrich, for the love of God, let me go!" Odd yelled madly.

"Odd, stop!" Ulrich yelled as Odd kicked him in the shin, "You can't do anything, right now!"

"I have to make sure she's okay!" Odd cried, fighting tears harder than he was fighting Ulrich.

"She'll be fine!" Ulrich tried to convince Odd.

"I don't mean eventually, I mean right now!" Odd screamed.

"Odd, listen to me!" Ulrich demanded as tears fell from his eyes, "You can't help her, right now." He was trying so hard not to sob. "If you touch her, you'll just hurt her more. Odd... She's going to be alright. I know it. I'm not just saying it to comfort you. I'm not lying to you, nor am I lying to myself. We know her, and we know she's going to get through this." He embraced the boy as they both sobbed. Ambulances swarmed the streets, and Renata was soon carefully lifted onto a gurney and into one of the hospital trucks.

...

The five friends paced the floors of the hospital. Renata had been in her coma for five days, and her family would arrive at the hospital at any minute. That minute came, and the sight of the Staccato family was devastating. Renata's mother, a blond woman with dark green eyes, didn't fight against her tears. The father, a man who looked exactly like Renata with hs brown hair and eyes, walked stone-faced, his expression completely horizontal. And between them, holding their hands, was a wide-eyed girl with very light brown hair and the darkest of green eyes. She looked so innocent and harmless, as if she had never experienced harship. Odd realized that the reason Lucia had never experienced anything too bad was because Renata had protected her from everything. And if the worst came, Lucia would be without an older sister to defend her.

Odd gazed at Mr. and Mrs. Staccato. They'd been through this before; a child in the hospital. They'd already lost Mario. What would happen if they lost Renata, too? How would the world react to Lucia being an only child?

Little Lucia was soon gathered into her father's strong arms as she sobbed, her tiny shoulders shaking against his broad chest.

Odd was surprised as Mrs. Staccato approached him.

"Hello," she whispered shakily, "I'm Renata's mother." She didn't hold a hand out for a shake of greeting.

"I'm Odd," he said, swallowing what felt like a lump of coal, "her boyfriend."

A small smile, mournful and trembling, graced the woman's features. "You shouldn't mention that to her father," she warned softly, "He's quite... protective." She covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to restrict tears. Odd took her other hand and led her to one of the unoccupied chairs, murmuring apologies.

A doctor came out a little while after the group had settled, still suffocating with tears.

"She's doing slightly better," said the doctor, "But we're still unsure of when she'll wake up, and there's a small chance that she will." Lucia sobbed into the shoulder of her father, who drew in a breath so long that Odd wondered about the size of the man's lungs. The mother pressed her lips together as she cried.

Ulrich spared Odd a glance. In one second, he told Odd that he didn't believe what the doctor was saying. He knew inside himself that his friend's girlfriend would get through this.

"You may go in, but only a few at a time," said the doctor monotonically.

The visits seemed to proceed interminably. Renata's family went first, and that took what felt like hours. Aelita went next, then Yumi, then Ulrich, and then Jeremie. After much contemplation, Odd entered the room alone.

Renata looked troubled as she lay perfectly still, her arms at her sides, hair fixed so it was behind her head. Odd sat in the chair directly beside her and took her hand in his, rubbing his fingers along its back as he had when they'd first kissed.

"Ren, uh, I just... don't know where to begin," Odd stumbled, "Lucia told me earlier that you're 'visiting dead friends and family.' I know you miss your brother, but... Please stay with us. We need you. The Lyoko team needs their best warrior, Aelita needs her protector, Ulrich needs his sister, and... I need my girlfriend." He said the last part rather quietly. "I really need you, Ren. I'm not even sure what I've been feeling for the past few days. When I look at you, I can't look away, even now. Even when you're not breathing or moving, you still look really nice... pretty, maybe even beautiful. I'm beginning to love everything about you, all the things you do, even when you tease me or wrestle with me... and beat me at everything." He released a slight chuckle. "I think I might be in love with you, Renata. Just maybe, possibly, I could be falling in love with you. We're fourteen, Ren, fourteen. And I think I love you."

He sat there for what seemed to be an eternity before he stood up and kissed Renata's eyelids and left the room to be met by Ulrich, who put a comforting arm around the blond boy and walked him to the car outside.

...

**That took a while, eh? Anyway, I'd like it if you reviewed, but I'm not sure if you're feeling too friendly at the moment. Yes, it was dumb and short and badly-paced, but give me a break! This stuff is difficult!**


	9. Recovery

**Just a reviewer: Fear not, my companion! The chapter you have been waiting for is now here!**

**toxicswallow: Aw, thank you! It took me a while to think of what Odd would say to Ren, so I'm happy that everything worked out well!**

**...**

Three more days passed, and Renata still hadn't been showing any signs of waking up. XANA attacked, but nothing ever became too serious for the five warriors to handle. No new discoveries or monsters, no indomitable attacks of any sort.

Everyone at Kadic found themselves missing the athletic smart aleck. Jim couldn't use his favorite student to show proper form for some sort of technique in class because said student was still in her coma. Academic classes grew a lot quieter without the girl who constantly earned detention for her perpetual quips and remarks.

The Staccatos spent most of their time at the hospital, at Renata's bedside. When they weren't there, the Lyoko warriors sat with the unconscious girl. They usually did their homework, and Aelita did Renata's when she was finished with her own. Naturally, Aelita had been feeling extremely guilty about what had happened, despite Jeremie's constant arm of comfort around her shoulder and his repeated assurances that it wasn't her fault and Renata would be alright.

The thing was, Renata wasn't alright. Odd had overheard the doctor conversing with Mr. Staccato about the fact that Renata's state was growing progressively worse.

...

Renata's eyelids unmasked her eyes, though even when they did she was unsure of whether or not her eyes were open, for the room she was in was very dark. She heard an electric beeping sound. Was it her alarm clock? If so, then that would mean morning had arrived, and it was far too dark for that. She squirmed in her bed, barely able to move, and felt thin, papery bed sheets against her skin. Then she realized that the beeping noise was that of a heart monitor, and that she was in a hospital because she'd been hit by a car. It was probably late in the night or very early in the morning, so she let her eyes close once again and fell back asleep.

...

"Renata?" the feminine voice of a nurse echoed in Renata's ears, "Honey, can you hear me? You need to wake up." She felt a flock of fingers curl around her palm. "Can you give me a grip? Can you hold my fingers?"

With all the strength she could muster, Renata murmured slightly and gave the nurse's fingers a strong squeeze.

"Quite a grip you've got there," the nurse chuckled, "How're you feeling?" Renata just mumbled. "What's your name?"

"Renata... Staccato," Renata replied tiredly.

"When's your birthday, honey?"

"January 26."

Questions like these continued for a few minutes, as did physical tests such as toe-wiggling and eye-moving.

"Well, Renata, I'd say you have quite the guardian angel looking out for you," said the doctor when he came in to examine Renata's state.

Renata thought of Mario. "I sure do," she said, grinning, "How long have I been out?"

"Nine days," the doctor said bluntly.

_"Nine days?"_ Renata repeated, unable to believe it.

"Yes, and your friends and family have visited just about every day. In fact, I believe your friends are outside, right now. Would you like to see them?" Renata nodded her head.

The instant her friends entered the room, Odd and Aelita immediately sprang to the bedridden girl. Renata's vision was masked by Aelita's pink hair in her face. Aelita was embracing Renata without mercy against the Italian's badly bruised ribs. Aelita sobbed and whimpered, and Renata wrapped a weak arm around the small girl's back. She wanted to put her other arm around Aelita, but Odd had her hand trapped in his, and from the look on his face, he wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"Renata Brunilda Staccato, don't you ever do that, again!" Aelita all but sobbed, "You scared me to death!"

Renata chuckled tiredly, stroking Aelita's hair comfortingly. "You know, I appreciate your concern, but most people are grateful when someone saves them from being hit by a car." Aelita whimpered. "Hey, I'm fine, alright? Everything's okay. It's not like I'm dead, or anything."

"Well, you do have a severe concussion and nearly broken ribs," Jeremie corrected.

"Thank you, Jeremie, for lightening the mood of the room," Renata said sarcastically.

"Hey, at least we know your sarcasm survived," Yumi joked.

"Please," Ulrich scoffed, "Death couldn't knock her sarcasm out."

Many more jokes, questions, and enthralling conversations continued for a good twenty minutes until Renata's family burst in the room. Lucia, in all her tininess, hopped onto the bed and threw her arms around her sister aggressively. Mr. and Mrs. Staccato layered themselves on top of their daughters, all whispering inaudible things as the warriors filed out of the room uncomfortably. They could hear Renata's mother scolding her as Lucia and her father praised her lightly. This took a while, and it was getting late, so everyone but Odd went back to Kadic.

The family reunion lasted about ninety minutes, which Odd waited out patiently. Mrs. Staccato carried a sleeping Lucia out of the room and down the hall of the hospital, but Mr. Staccato stayed behind, staring at Odd.

"So, you're the boyfriend," the man said ominously, his voice low.

Odd gulped. "Yes, sir," he squeaked, standing up.

"Della Robbia, if anything like this ever happens to her again on the watch of you or those other boys, just remember that we in the circus don't use the tightropes just for walking," Mr. Staccato warned darkly. As the intimidating man left, Odd's hand flew to his throat as he imagined a rope coiled around it. It wasn't legal to hang someone, of course, but overprotective fathers were somehow always above the law.

Those thoughts melted away as Odd stepped into Renata's room. From the look on his face, Renata could tell that Odd had just spoken with her father.

"I have a feeling I know what he wanted to talk to you about," Renata said.

"Let's just say that I see where you get your overprotectiveness from," Odd said shakily, letting out a breathy laugh. He sat down on the bed and took Renata's clammy hand in his own.

"You look like you haven't slept," Renata observed, visually catching the dark circles under his eyes.

"I've been getting about five hours every night," Odd replied.

"Go home," Renata ordered softly, bringing her hand to his cheek, "Get some sleep. Eat some food. I'm fine, now. You don't need to worry about me."

"Ren, I need to tell you something," Odd said suddenly.

"Yeah?" said Renata.

"I... don't know how to say it, really," Odd murmured, "Um... After the accident, I was blaming myself for a lot of it."

"Why?" Renata asked, confused, "It wasn't your fault at all."

"I don't know, I just..." Odd stammered, struggling to find words that would lace into a proper sentence, "I felt like it was my fault you got hurt. I felt like I could've kept you safe."

"But you couldn't have," Renata said quietly.

"I know that," Odd agreed, "Which makes this all the harder to say." He inhaled and exhaled several times, his nervousness growing with every breath. "I love you." The three words escaped his mouth so quickly that Renata didn't think she caught them the first time he said it, but when she realized what he'd announced, her eyes grew wide with alarm. His next words came out at the speed of light. "And I don't know if you're ready or not to take that step and it's okay if you're not or if you're not planning to I just really wanted you to know because after the accident I was worried that I wouldn't be able to so I hope this doesn't make things between us uncomfortable because I-"

"I love you, too," Renata said suddenly. The words had flown from her mouth before she knew what she was saying, but she hadn't expected them to fill her chest with anything but vacuity. She wasn't saying it so things between Odd and herself wouldn't be awkward. She was saying it because it was true! She meant it. She loved him. And to confirm it, she slanted her lips into his lovingly.

...

Renata was released from the hospital after another week, and more weeks followed as everything began to settle down. XANA still attacked, but now the team was better than ever in fighting their archnemesis. Renata was back to doing her own homework, making smart aleck remarks in class, eating salads, and training like mad before she knew it. She and Odd went on several dates, some alone, some tripling with Aelita, Jeremie, Ulrich, and Yumi, all ending with those three words they'd admitted in the hospital room.

...

**Well, there you have it! By the way, have any of you checked out Code Lyoko Evolution? The guys playing Jeremie and Odd are adorable! But, Sam and Sissi are blond! BLOND! And there's another BLOND girl named Laura who gets on my nerves like a cowboy on a horse. But I have to say, I LOVE CLE Jim. He's exactly like CL Jim. Anyway, review please!**


	10. A Trap

**So... I really need to start making better chapters, huh? My last one was so short and lacked such substance. I'll try and do better, but hey, nobody's perfect. Especially not FanFiction authors, that's for sure.**

**Just a reviewer: My God, I love and appreciate all of your reviews so much! Thank you for everything you said!**

**xXCobaltFlameXx: Yeesh, I messed up your pen name a lot. Finally got it! Yeah, I just love Odd to death in CLE! And Ulrich is even more protective of Yumi. *sigh* My poor, fangirling heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your review!**

**patattack: Ha, I love your name! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: OH MY GOD! SO MUCH LOGIC IN THAT REVIEW! I dunno, I think this story will end before William even starts finding out about XANA, so he's defnitely not going to be involved in this story.**

**...**

Renata's fist sliced through the air as the odiously shrill ring of her alarm clock signaled her reflexes to wake up. She reached out to her bedside table to put the demonic device out of its misery (or, rather, to put herself out of her own), but Odd's bony arms were solidly locked around her torso.

"Odd, wake up," she said, trying to turn around and shake him awake whilst reaching for the clock, "Do you not hear the alarm clock?" She certainly did, and it was beginning to damage both her ears and her brain cells. She let out a cross between a sigh and a groan before bending down to kiss Odd on his soft lips.

He spurred to life within seconds. "Hm?" he said groggily, his drowsiness making him pull Renata closer, which made her fight him. He let go and she finally spanked the alarm clock.

"Unbelievable," Renata muttered.

"What?" Odd said, the word barely audible through his slightly parted lips. He tried to pull her back down again, and she obliged, facing him in her side while his eyes barely remained open.

"You fail to hear that dead-annoying alarm clock, yet you come out of your practical coma when I kiss you," Renata remarked, grinning slightly.

"It probably has to do with the fact that you just came out of an actual coma," Odd replied before kissing Renata between her eyebrows.

"That makes no sense," Renata whispered as she closed her eyes.

"Hush," said Odd before he kissed her eyelids. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

"No, no, no," Renata said, pulling away and getting off the bed, "It's time to get up."

Odd moaned childishly. "I don't wanna..." he whined, turning over in the bed so he was facing the wall. Renata took a moment to look to Aelita's vacant bed, remembering that she had gone to Jeremie's room to sleep after having a nightmare the night before.

"Odd, come on, breakfast is in twenty minutes," Renata said, yanking the pillow from underneath his head. She rolled her eyes. "Odd, I am undressing and currently in my undergarments." Instead of turning over, Odd put his hands to his face, covering his eyes and making Renata swoon internally. She sat back on the bed, leaning down so her mouth was to his ear. "Please, Odd?" She ever so lightly kissed his ear. "For your girlfriend who you love, loves you back, and just came out of a coma?" Another two kisses.

Odd grumbled and turned over so he was on his back, looking up at Renata. "Fine," he mumbled, irritated. Nevertheless, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips before standing up off the bed. "See you in the cafeteria," he said, giving her one final kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

Renata giggled, biting her lip. She and Odd were _definitely_ still in the honeymoon phase. They only acted as ditzy and romantic as this when they were completely alone, but she still felt completely different than she'd felt a few weeks before.

Aelita entered their room about five minutes later and asked how last night had been. Renata replied positively and returned the question as she changed into her day clothes. The pair went to breakfast, where they met up with the rest of their friends. As Renata ate oatmeal, the rest of her friends ate pancakes, Odd drowning his own in maple syrup.

"Staccato!" a voice barked from behind the girl. Her eyebrows darted upward for a split second from her startle as she turned around to see none other than Jim Morales standing behind her. "Principal Delmas wishes to see you ASAP!" He said it like some sort of military official would, as he had claimed to be one before but insisted that he not talk about it. "It's Sunday, which means no classes. No classes means there will be no conflict of schedule, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Renata confirmed before plunging a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.

"What do you think Delmas wants with you?" Ulrich inquired after Jim left.

"Yeah, whadja do?" Yumi said, grinning.

"I'll have you know that I've been an angel since I came back from the hospital," Renata informed through gritted teeth, knowing that this was completely false. She'd made her smart aleck remarks and participated in her fair share of pranks with the guys within the last few weeks. And she hadn't regretted a single moment of it, not even the detention hours paid.

So, when she claimed she hadn't caused any trouble, her friends couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"I'll believe that when pigs fly!" Jeremie panted, having suffered under lack of oxygen from his insane laughter.

"Or when Yumi views Sissi as her idol!" Ulrich chuckled, jabbing a thumb in his girlfriend's direction.

"Okay, guys," Renata smiled, loving moments like this one. Unfortunately, she had somewhere to be. "Well, I'd love to stay here and suffer under this abuse, but apparently, I have to go see the witch's father."

Her friends bid her farewell, Odd refusing to part without exchanged kisses on the cheek, before she quickly cut through the campus and arrived in the principal's office.

"Signore Delmas?" Renata said politely as she entered the room, "You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes, Renata, do have a seat." There were three seats in front of his desk, so she took the one in the middle. "Your family will be here, shortly."

"Mia famiglia?" Renata said, confused, "Why are they here?"

"We're having a conference for you."

Renata's heart dropped. Conferences were never a good thing for the students at Kadic, especially not for her. The only person she figured had it worse off than she did was Ulrich, whose parents could never be pleased. After about fifteen minutes of tense and awkward waiting, the immediate Staccato family entered, including Lucia, who immediately sprang into her sister's lap. Her parents sat on either side of her, and after polite introductions were exchanged, Mr. Delmas decided to get down to business. Lucia settled into Renata's lap and plugged ear phones into her ears, listening to the calming music on her mother's music player.

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Staccato, let's just jump right in and talk about Renata," said the principal as if the girl he was talking about wasn't there, "She's a very intelligent student, and has remarkable grades, but her behavior in school could definitely do with some improvement. She shows a... rebellious tendency and often displays disrespect toward the teachers and other students on campus. She has several hours of detention on her record and is known around Kadic for her irreverent comments toward the teachers." He paused, drawing in a long breath. "As you may know, your daughter was involved in an unfortunate accident for the-"

"What do you mean, 'as you may know'?" Mr. Staccato began defensively, "My daughter got hit by a car! You don't think we would be informed and care about something like that?"

"No, of course not," Mr. Delmas said quickly, "It was merely a poor choice of words, and I-"

"-would like to apologize?" Mr. Staccato finished, displaying the temper that Renata had obviously inherited. This was the only way to cool him down. An apology.

After a brief moment of silence and consideration, Mr. Delmas sighed. "Yes," he replied, "I apologize."

_Smart man_, Renata thought to herself. No one on the face of the Earth would ever dare mess with her father. XANA, itself, would quiver at the sight of an outraged Mr. Staccato. And the best way to outrage Mr. Staccato was to, in any way, harm his family, something he had in common with his eldest daughter.

"Now then," Delmas cleared his throat, evidently uncomfortable, "I'd like to know the crux of her attitude. Forgive me for saying this, but my theory is that this behavior stems from the tragic passing of her younger brother."

Mr. Staccato bolted out of his seat when Delams mentioned his dead son. "Delmas, I suggest you pull that mustached upper lip over your chin and keep it that way. Never talk about my son."

Mr. Delmas swallowed. "Yes, of course," he said, his throat tight, "My apologies." He turned to Renata. "Do you think what I suggested is the reason why you behave the way you do?"

"No," was Renata's immediate reply.

"Then what do you think is? Perhaps, your friends are pressuring you?"

"No."

"Please, give me some guidance," Mr. Delmas implored, "Why do you constantly cause trouble here at Kadic?"

Renata pointed a finger at her father. "Him," she said simply.

"Do you mean to say that your father tells you to perform these acts of rebellion?" Delmas inquired.

"Of course not," Renata replied, "I'm saying I'm the spitting image of him. His genes are my genes, and his very blood runs through me. I'm exactly like he was at my age. He made trouble, protected his friends and siblings, and made disrespectful remarks toward his teachers. However, he never harmed anyone. He had a temper, but he kept it controlled. Just as I have, haven't I?" She knew that the last part was all but true. Although the Returns to the Past erased the memories of those attending Kadic, Renata had been acting in a rather bellicose manner for a while, now.

"I suppose that's true, you haven't physically or emotionally harmed anyone here at school, but your offensive remarks cannot go unnoticed," said Delmas.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Renata said, partly meaning it, "I'll work to fix it. It's not going to go away immediately, but it will gradually."

"That's all I can ask for now, I suppose," Delmas sighed.

The meeting didn't last much longer, a few minutes at most, and the Staccatos spent the rest of the day together before the parents and Lucia went to their motel for the night. **(I'd rather not write about what they did. Everything I've written is so boring it's fatal.)**

"So, did you have a good day with your family?" Jeremie asked Renata when the entire group, save for Yumi and Ulrich, as Ulrich was walking Yumi home, was walking back to their dorms.

"Yeah, we had a great time," Renata said cheerfully, "My back hurts like crazy because I had to carry Lucia around piggy-back style the entire time."

"A nice massage should fix that, soon," Odd flirted. Aelita giggled as Jeremie made a face.

"Well, here's my room," Jeremie announced, pulling out his key and unlocking his door, "Goodnight, guys." He led Aelita by the hand into his room.

"Sweet dreams, Mr. and Mrs. Einstein!" Odd called.

"Odd, shh!" Renata scolded, "Someone might hear you!"

"Then I shall proclaim my love for you to the masses," Odd said, putting an arm around Renata's waist.

"Yeah... no," Renata disagreed. They laughed on the way to her room. When they reached the desired destination, Odd gave Renata her privacy so she could pray before going inside and nestling into her back. They fell asleep.

...

Renata woke up in the middle of the night, the bright light of her open laptop illuminating her room. This was odd, as she clearly remembered turning it off and closing it before going to bed. Nevertheless, she broke Odd's iron grip on her stomach and tentatively climbed out of bed. She stared at the blinding screen, reading the letters that appeared blurry through her groggy eyes. It read: NEW MESSAGE.

_Hello, Renata._

**Who is this?**

_A very close companion._

**That gives me a real clue.**

_XANA._

Renata's heart stopped. XANA was IMing her? Why? What did it want?

**What do you want, XANA?**

_I just wanted to say hello and tell you that I find your sister adorable._

Her heart dropped even further, fear enclosing around her body. XANA had her sister? What was it doing with her? Was she okay? Hundreds of questions began to cause a fission in Renata's fortitude. But she wanted to appear strong.

**My sister?**

_Yes, I'm in her presence as we speak. Or, rather, as we IM._

**Leave her alone.**

_Meet me, then._

**What?**

_In the lab at the factory. Little Lucia is growing very anxious, and so am I._

**Leave her alone. She has nothing to do with you.**

_That may be as it is, though she makes for an excellent test subject._

**What did you do to her?**

_Nothing, yet, but your absence could easily change that._

**Give me twenty minutes.**

_Take your time._

Renata got dressed and did her hair, Lucia's safety in her mind. What had XANA done to her? What if he'd killed her and was using her to lure Renata over? He was obviously using Lucia to get Renata to the lab, but Renata couldn't determine why. Before heading out the door, she spared a glance at Odd, who was hugging a pillow to his chest in substitution for Renata. She approached him slowly, bent down, and ghosted his cheek with her lips before leaving her room for the lab.

Her nerves ate her insides as she quickly and silently ventured to the factory. She'd never felt like she would throw up from pure nervousness, not before circus performances, school presentations, or traveling to Lyoko. But now, she feared for the lives of the Staccato daughters.

She arrived at the factory and entered the lab. What she saw was shocking. A very tall man with grey skin wearing a long black cloak held an unconscious Lucia against his chest. He looked robotic, his eyes a luminescent, evil red. He gave Renata a sinister smile, revealing his set of sharp, jagged teeth when he saw her.

"Hello, Ms. Staccato," he greeted creepily. His voice was thin and metallic, just like everything else about him.

"XANA," Renata replied coldly, "Is it really you?"

"In a way, yes," said the virus, "This is an avatar I created for myself, much like the little costumes you and your friends wear when you enter Lyoko. I designed it, sent it to Earth, and thus possessed it."

"Impressive," Renata complimented nonchalantly, though her heartbeat was quickening, "Why did you send for me?"

"An excellent question, my dear," XANA purred, "You see, this little set-up forms a domino effect. I have Lucia, which draws you here, which will draw Odd here, which will draw Ulrich here, which will draw Yumi here, which will draw Aelita here, which will draw Jeremie here."

"No!" Renata cried, her eyes widening, "You can't!"

"Oh, I believe you'll see that I can," XANA stated, "In fact, Odd is reading a message from me saying I have you probably at this very moment."

"No..." Renata said again, only much quieter. An infinitesimal, overly optimistic part of her hoped that Odd wouldn't come. But she knew he'd come, as would the rest of the warriors, and some huge mess would be made by XANA. She just wondered if she and those close to her would make it out if whatever was about to go down alive.

"Time to go to sleep, now, Renata," said XANA. And before she knew it, Renata's body was being inundated by electricity and she passed out.

...

"Wake up, children," an eerily familiar voice said as Renata's eyelids lifted. It took a minute for her disoriented head and body to stir back into reality. She sat up and saw Odd and Ulrich on either side of her, with Yumi, Jeremie, and Aelita next to them. Her eyes searched for Lucia, who was standing against XANA, blindfolded and gagged with duct tape. Her friends groggily sat up with her, and soon realized the situation. They all stood up urgently, forming a shape around Renata, who they knew would lash out to get to her sister at any given moment. Odd stood in front of her, his hands grasping hers; Yumi and Ulrich stood on either side of her, their arms in front of her, ready to block her from running; and Jeremie and Aelita clutched her shoulders, subconsciously holding her back.

"Well, isn't that sweet?" XANA cooed, "A group of friends protecting their strongest, yet weakest, warrior."

"Shut up," Yumi said, staring daggers at the computer virus, "She's not weak."

"She may not be weak, I agree," said XANA, "But she _does_ have weaknesses." He held out an open palm, gesturing to the group. "You're all a great example of this, as is her sister." Renata gripped Odd's elbows, and he stepped back against her, making sure she didn't do anything rash. "What an adorable child." He ran a finger through Lucia's straight, light brown hair.

"Don't touch her!" Renata commanded, her nails digging into Odd's arms. Everybody's grips on her tightened.

"Oh, you don't want her to get hurt, do you?" XANA smirked. He held an open hand to his side. "You're such a good sister. Do you remember this?" He widened the distances between each of his lanky, grey fingers and a red and black vapor began to slip around them. Renata's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I supposed you wouldn't remember. This is the foeshock."

At that precise moment, Renata's heart felt like an elevator with a broken chord, and said elevator was currently plunging one hundred floors at the speed of light. If XANA used that nightmare on Lucia, the little girl would die instantly. When the foeshock had infected Renata, she'd fought it with every fiber of her strength. Lucia didn't possess such strength. Lucia lacked the experience in facing hardships and knowledge of what the world would be like if she didn't exist in it. All that would keep her alive against the foeshock was her fear of death. That, and Renata, who was already lashing against her friends, struggling to escape their grips of steel in her.

"Don't you dare use that on her!" Renata shouted, reaching forward with her arms, only to have them weighted down by Yumi's.

"Why are you doing this, XANA?" Ulrich demanded as he tried to pull Renata back against himself.

"I just want you all to consider a negotiation I have in mind," XANA said innocently, twirling the vaporous foeshock around his long fingers.

"Negotiation?" Odd repeated, raising a blond eyebrow.

"Aelita," XANA said suddenly, his voice like melting molasses, all sticky and bittersweet. With the hand holding the foeshock, he beckoned her forward with those grey fingers of his.

Renata could practically feel Jeremie tense up behind her as he stepped in front of Aelita, who began to maneuver around him. Aelita eventually ended up next to Renata, but Jeremie still stood in front of her, his arms out to shield her vulnerability.

"What do you want with me?" Aelita asked quietly.

"Come," was all XANA said. Jeremie stiffened, obviously not going to let Aelita around any time soon, so XANA brought his smoking hand to Lucia's unprotected face, triggering screams from Renata.

"NO!" Renata boomed as she thrashed against Yumi, Odd, and Ulrich, "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"Your sister will be fine," XANA told Renata, his hand inches away from Lucia's face, "_if_ Aelita comes over to me."

At this, Renata became still. She realized that this was her call. If she told Aelita not to go, Lucia would die an excruciatingly painful death, and Renata would lose two little siblings, and the guilt would consume her for the rest of her life. If she told Aelita to go, who knew what XANA would do? The virus could extract Aelita's memory just by touching her, for all Renata knew. The entire world would be thrown into chaos if XANA got a hold of the pink-haired Stones, and everyone in the room knew it.

Aelita put a calming hand on Jeremie's shoulder and walked around him slowly, ignoring his obvious protests. She began to make her way toward XANA.

"Aelita, no," Renata said weakly, trying to swallow her tears, "You don't have to do this. I-"

But Aelita held up a hand to stop the girl. "It's alright," she said softly, "This is my choice." With every step Aelita took, XANA's hand gradually inched away from Lucia's face. When she finally reached the avatar, XANA grinned sinisterly, seizing Aelita by the elbow and pulling her next to him. Jeremie was stopped by Yumi before he could so much as reach for his girlfriend in panic.

"Good choice, Aelita," XANA complimented, the foeshock dissipating. He looked at Renata. "Don't worry, dear. Your sister is safe. In fact, she's in bed, in a motel about twenty-five minutes away, sound asleep."

Renata's face fell. "What did you just say?"

"You mean-" Ulrich began.

"Yes, that's right," XANA chuckled, "Lucia isn't really here, right now. I merely collected the image of her and designed a program of her, and a rather unreliable program, I might add. It wouldn't even stay awake, and I didn't have time for a new one, but I digress..." The arm that held Lucia dropped to the side, and Lucia's image began to dissolve until nothing was left.

Renata's eyes narrowed as her persona flashed from protective sister to protective roommate. The possible anger she could've felt for being tricked by XANA wasn't recognized, for her concern for Aelita engulfed her.

"Now, then, on to business," XANA said gleefully as he put Aelita in front of himself and placed his hands on her shoulders. Yumi stopped Jeremie, and Odd and Ulrich kept their hands on Renata.

"Keep your hands off her," Jeremie growled, his rapid heartbeat nearly audible through his blue turtleneck.

"You say it like you can protect her," XANA snickered, trailing an index finger under Aelita's chin.

"Just leave him out of this!" Aelita cried out suddenly, jerking herself out of XANA's grip, "Leave them all out of this! Just do what you want with me and be done with it!" Tears slipped out from her eyes, but she faced the computer virus bravely.

A bolt of electricity flashed through XANA's scarlet irises. Without losing his composure, he drew back his hand and struck Aelita across her cheek at the speed of light. Aelita screamed and fell back, her small hand flying to her cheek and tears falling from her eyes. Renata eyed the vibrant red mark on her roommate's face, noticing that XANA had used electricity when slapping the girl. Jeremie threw himself in front of Aelita in case XANA tried to further harm her. Renata, on the other hand, shoved Odd and Ulrich off of her and leaped at XANA, on the verge of going ballistic. XANA effortlessly sidestepped out of Renata's path and she collided with the floor, recovering quickly. Odd rushed over to her.

Ulrich knelt down and swept XANA's long legs out from underneath him and Yumi kicked the virus in the face. XANA, in response, staggered backward into Renata's waiting foot, which collided with the small of his back. Jeremie ran to his lab chair and booted up the supercomputer. XANA stood up and whirled around to face Jeremie, who was obstructed from XANA's view by Aelita. She held her arm behind herself, shielding Jeremie.

"Touch him, and I will destroy you," she warned poisonously, an intense look in her eyes that sent even Renata into a moment of stupor.

"I'd like to see you try," XANA smiled, advancing toward his enemy, "You're too weak to get anything accomplished."

"Says the guy who constantly gets his butt kicked by a bunch of fourteen-year-olds," Renata remarked, smirking.

"Mario says hi," XANA shot back childishly.

"The world you haven't conquered yet says hi," Renata fired, steam nearly coming out of her ears as Odd put a hand on her shoulder to hold her back from reacting. XANA wasted no time in winding his fist back and ramming it into Renata's eye, sending her backward. Odd, obviously infuriated, attempted to kick XANA in the stomach, but XANA was prepared. He grabbed the boy's ankle and brought his fist down on his knee repeatedly. A nauseating crack erupted through the room as Odd cried out in pain, clutching his knee and falling to the ground.

"Odd!" Renata screamed as Ulrich and Yumi began to attack XANA. She bolted up off of the ground and ran over to her boyfriend, who was moaning in agony. "Odd, come on." She had no idea what to say. She knew he wasn't okay, so asking him if he was would be pointless. Instead, she grasped Odd by his upper arm and the nape of his neck, supporting his head and holding it against her chest. "Odd, look at me. Odd!" Odd obeyed, and he whimpered when he saw Renata's swollen eye.

"Ren," he said, bringing a hand to her face to cup her cheek, "Your eye."

"What about it?" Renata said quickly, smiling slightly, "I can still see out of the other one. Look, I need to get you up and put you somewhere safe."

"No, Ren, I can still-" Odd said, only to be cut off.

"You can still what?" Renata demanded, "Crawl? Blink? I just want to make sure you can breathe, and that means getting you as far away from XANA as possible." She stood up and gently took Odd into her arms, making him wince when her inner elbow came in contact with his knee. She carried him over to a spot farther away from the action and set him down.

"Ren, wait," Odd said just before she made to leave. He grabbed her arm, and when Renata saw the look in his eyes, she knew what he wanted.

"Odd, I love you, but now isn't the time for making out," she said, winking and running to help Ulrich and Yumi.

**...**

**So, that took a while. Like, a really long while. Anywho, I would love to continue this, but there are way too many words, already. Review, please!**


	11. Close Call

**A/N: Hello, my friends! Yeah, this chapter came a lot faster than the previous chapters... Heh, heh... Time flies, yeah?**

**areskickass13: Well, like I mentioned, I ended it there because the chapter would be way too long if I continued.**

**obsessivefanno,4: I have to use a comma in your name instead of a period or else FanFiction will pick it up as a website. Anyway, I don't know why I keep saying Yulrich when everyone else says Ulumi. Whatever. And, this **_**is**_** an Odd/OC story, but I'll include a bit of Ulumi in here. But very little.**

**Just a Reviewer: Aw, thanks for the compliment on the XANA attacks! For a while, I was debating whether or not to actually have Lucia in the attack or not, and then I thought having Ren's friends there was more than enough to keep her all crazy-protective-brave. Having her little sister there (instead of just a program) would definitely tip the entire thing over. Thank you for the review!**

**CT10698: Your review has to be the best review I've ever received. Ever. And if I'm the aspiring author mentioned in your review, then thank you, and I'm terrified.**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: XANA probaby can't be pulled into childish banter. I just found the idea to be really funny. Thank you for your review!**

**...**

Renata wasted no time in joining Ulrich and Yumi once she knew that Odd was safe.

"Guys, duck!" she shouted as she hurled a piece of metal that had broken off of the wall at XANA. Ulrich and Yumi threw themselves to the floor at just the right time. The metal chunk nailed XANA right between his blaring red eyes, and his head cocked backward from the force. Yumi and Ulrich took this opportunity to kick XANA in the ankles, disturbing his balance and causing him to fall forward. However, he grabbed Yumi by her arm and dragged her up off the floor as he stood.

Renata darted forward and gripped Ulrich by his shoulders, pulling him back.

"You've kinda run out of ideas, eh, XANA?" she remarked, "Your only tactic seems to be to use damsels in distress."

"It's grown repetitive, I agree, but it's definitely effective," XANA replied coolly, securing Yumi against his chest, "You're all a weakness to one another. It only helps that each one of you is in love with someone in this room."

Renata felt Ulrich tense up, and she stepped around in front of him, acting as a barrier between him and XANA. She noticed Jeremie and Aelita furiously typing into the supercomputer as silently as they could. She had to distract XANA from noticing them.

"What're you trying to accomplish?" Ulrich growled from behind Renata. The girl could tell from his voice that he was panicking. If anything happened to Yumi, he'd go ballistic. Everyone in the room knew that, and unfortunately, XANA was included in that group.

"I believe Jeremie and Aelita are on the vere of figuring it out," XANA grinned, "Any second, now. Three. Two. O-" He was interrupted by a metal chunk, which was being wielded by Jeremie, coming in harsh contact with the back of his head.

"Aelita, Renata, and Ulrich! Scanner room!" he ordered. Those mentioned in the demand sprinted to the elevator, and Renata spared a glance at Odd, who was under a thick, giant, dangling metal wire about to come loose.

"Odd, look out!" she screamed, running toward him and yanking him out of the way just in time as the wire collapsed.

Odd tightened his grasp around Renata's wrist. "Ren, just stay here," Odd begged softly as the elevator door began to slowly creak open, "Don't go. You'll get hurt."

"Don't worry about me, okay?" Renata said quickly, bringing her lips to Odd's in a kiss that was far too short for either of their likings, "I'll be fine." She didn't give Odd a chance to say anything and darted to the elevator. She heard Odd say to himself, "I hate when she does that!" before the doors closed and the elevator transported the trio to the scanner room.

"Transfer: Aelita," Jeremie's somewhat shaky voice reverberated throughout the room, "Transfer: Renata. Transfer: Ulrich. Scanner: Aelita. Scanner: Renata. Scanner: Ulrich. Virtualization!"

Before she knew it, Renata's feet had met the smooth, white ground of the ice sector of Lyoko. Standing in front of her was a chariot- minus the horses- that was all red and gold. In front of Ulrich stood some sort of strange, one-wheeled motorbike coated in green and brown.

"Okay, guys, I've been working on some vehicles for a while, now," Jeremie informed, "Please remain focused on the task at hand, though. Renata, your vehicle is the chariot, and it's called the Overcart. Ulrich, your vehicle is called the Overbike. And before you ask, yes, Odd and Yumi have vehicles, as well; the Overboard and the Overwing. Now, I need you to get to the activated tower thirty paces west. Do you guys see it?"

"We're on our way," Renata confirmed, "Ulrich, you take Aelita. I'll follow you two. I don't like the look of no monsters..." Her voice trailed off. She and the other warriors on Lyoko sped off to the tower and reached it in no time, only to crash unexpectedly into an invisible wall of some sort. The vehicles disintegrated immediately and Renata, Ulrich, and Aelita were sent flying backward.

"What was that?" Ulrich murmured, standing up.

"It's some kind of invisible barrier," said Aelita as she approached the tower again. She came in contact with the wall again and was sent staggering backward.

"Renata and Ulrich, you're at ninety life points," Jeremie's voice confirmed, "Aelita, you're at eighty. What's happening? There aren't any monsters on my monitor."

"Jeremie, it's some sort of invisible wall lining the base of the tower that extracts our life points each time we come in contact with it."

"The base, huh?" Renata repeated as she examined the tower, her mind racing as fast as her heart. She turned to Aelita. "What about the top?"

"I can't get in from the top," Aelita shook her head.

"Have you ever tried?" Renata inquired.

"Well, no," Aelita replied, "But even if we were to try it, how would we get to the top? Standing on each other's shoulders, we wouldn't make it anywhere near the end of the wall."

"On each other's shoulders?" Renata repeated, "Aelita, what if you used your creativity to make a platform just tall enough to get you over the top of the wall if we held you up?"

"We don't even know where the wall ends," Ulrich disagreed, "And using her creativity drains Aelita of her life points. We'd never make it!" He thought for a moment. "But... My super-sprint defies the laws of gravity. Maybe if I'm fast enough and take big enough steps, I can get Aelita over the wall before my life points run out."

"How about... we combine the ideas?" Aelita thought aloud, "I create a liner just big enough for Ulrich to run up without losing life points."

"I say it's worth a shot," Ulrich said.

"So do I," Renata agreed.

"Alright, then," said Aelita. She knelt down, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. A melody, angelic and beautiful, escaped from her widely-parted lips. As she sang, a white wall of ice began to climb up the invisible wall until it reached the full height of the tower. Without a word, Ulrich scooped Aelita up into his arms and super-sprinted up the ice wall before dropping her to the ground behind the invisible wall. The base of the tower imbibed Aelita, but the tower wasn't deactivated as soon as everyone thought it would be.

"Jeremie, what's taking so long?" Ulrich asked.

"There are a lot more codes than usual, all of which Aelita has to get through in order to deactivate the tower," said Jeremie.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Ulrich questioned.

"Can't say," Jeremie replied, "Not long, I hope."

"How're things in the real world?" Renata asked.

"Yumi's running out of energy, and Odd's trying to help her," Jeremie informed.

"Ren, throw a knife at me," Ulrich called down to Renata, "I have to go help them."

Renata nodded and took one of the knives from its sheath before chucking it at Ulrich, whose particles dissolved immediately as he was devirtualized. She waited, bouncing around on her feet to keep herself busy. Five minutes passed, and still nothing had happened.

"Jeremie, how's Aelita doing?" Renata asked anxiously.

"She's burning through those codes," Jeremie answered her, "But there are a lot of them. I don't think you need to stick around in Lyoko. You should probably come back here and help Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi."

"Okay."

"I'll bring you in."

Renata felt her particles dissipating and she soon found herself in the scanner she'd entered Lyoko from. After taking a moment to let her stomach settle down, she raced to the elevator, which didn't seem to open fast enough to act as a curative for Renata's anxiety. When the doors finally parted open, she bounced inside, shaking out her wrists and ankles as the elevator transported her upward to the lab.

"Ren, duck!" Odd's voice commanded just as the doors opened. Renata had quick reflexes, but the stream of red and black vapor coming at her was faster. She screamed as she was attacked with the horrible pain her head had felt when she'd been hit by the car, the bones in her hand shattering from the time she'd punched the vending machine, her eye swelling with the pain of being punched over and over, and thousands of bolts of elecricity shooting through her body reenacting with the foeshock.

"Ren!" Odd shouted, crawling over to the girl and shielding her sweating, crumpled form with his own body.

XANA approached the pair and stared at Odd. "This may hurt a little," he said, raising his foot, which was purple with sparking electricity. He slammed his foot down onto Odd's knee, which bent under the force until it appeared that his leg was no longer whole. Odd shouted in pain, leaning his head back and falling to the floor, shaking and leaving Renata unprotected. They both wailed, experiencing pain that was beyond belief, Odd clutching his bloody leg and Renata writhing on the ground.

XANA was suddenly knocked to the ground by Jeremie, who straddled the virus and gave him a few solid punches before being punched, himself. His ovular glasses skidded across the ground as he toppled to the floor, onto his side. Yumi went over and took some of her current stresses out on XANA, and Ulrich joined her as Jeremie ran back to the supercomputer. XANA easily shook Ulrich and Yumi off by shooting them unconscious with electricity.

Very slowly, Renata stood up, her legs wobbling. Her knees buckled once, twice, but the third time, she stood steadily.

"Oh, give it a rest, Renata," XANA groaned, "There's obviously nothing you can do. Your friends are dying, and as they do, I grow stronger. You're just a weak little girl who thinks she's strong."

"Oh, I'm the weak one?" Renata panted, wiping a sweaty strand of brown hair from her equally brown eyes, "I'm not the one being distracted by a circus freak as a pink-haired girl finishes getting through the very last program of Code Lyoko."

XANA's eyes widened and he spun around to look at Jeremie, who looked back at his enemy with a smile.

"Prepare to have your ass handed to you by a group of kids," Renata smirked, satisfied. Her body gave out and she collapsed to the floor.

"Return to the past, now," Jeremie said, his finger pressing on the Enter key of his keyboard as a giant bubble of white light expanded over the entire world.

...

More or less than a dozen phone calls were made between the six Lyoko warriors the same morning as the event at the factory. The entire team was frantic, each member double-checking that the others were alright over breakfast. Renata had her conference with her family and the principal, again, and awoke the next day with Odd's arms wrapped around her torso. The day went along normally.

XANA didn't attack, for a while. Things had settled down a bit, but the Lyoko warriors still had a long way to go before they could start living normal lives. They had Franz Hopper to discover, Sector 5 to find, William to recruit, XANA to defeat, and the supercomputer to shut down. But eventually, those days came, and the warriors were prepared. The years after seemed to pass fairly uneventfully without an evil computer virus to battle. And that was just the way they liked it.

**...**

**Sooner than you expected, right? Well, it's because I've been writing like a madwoman, lately. Then again, I don't think a madwoman writes that frequently. I'm pretty sure a madwoman would be trying to escape her straightjacket. Anywho, the epilogue is coming up, soon! Review, pretty please!**


	12. Epilogue

**Just a Reviewer: I hate to break it to you, but it's over. I also won't be doing another Code Lyoko fic (at least not for a while, and definitely not with Ren in it), because I have so many others that I want to do, and they're all in different archives. But thank you so much for all of your reviews and for liking the story!**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Yup, it's over, now. Making it longer, well, let's just say that all attempts at stretching this thing out have resulted in catastrophes. **

**CT10698: Um... I'm sorry for your loss. Thanks for the review...?**

**...**

Renata Della Robbia sat in the passenger seat of the car, smiling at Odd, who drove ahead steadily. The children in the backseats were abuzz with questions, just as they were every year when they visited Kadic. They always had the same questions, to which their parents replied with the same answers.

"So everyone's going to be there?" Lilliana asked, her energy nearly bursting with her wide smile, her dark brown waves bouncing around her shoulders. She was the fourth-youngest of the siblings at the age of six, and was the sibling most influenced by the artistic abilities that had been passed down to her from her father's side. She was constantly drawing, painting, and sculpting, and had even brought a sketchbook for the car ride.

"Sì, Lilly," Renata chuckled, knowing that Lilliana wanted to play with Yumi and Ulrich's six-year-old son, Akira, "Everyone will be there."

"Including Aikawa," Odd added, giving Mario a wink and a smirk. Mario blushed and shifted his head so he was gazing out the window. Anyone who had good vision could easily see that the oldest Della Robbia child was just about in love with fifteen-year-old Aikawa Stern. Mario, at sixteen years, was only a few months older than Aikawa and was the spitting image of his father, inheriting his blond hair with its purple splotch. However, Mario acted nothing like Odd, nor Renata, for that matter. He was rather quiet and shy, which attracted the affection of many girls at his school, unbeknownst to him.

"Aw, does Mario have a girlfriend?" Lucia teased, ruffling her older brother's hair. Mario vindictively ruffled Lucia's blond-brown tresses, and soon it was an all-out war between the brother and sister. Mario ended up winning because of his slight advantage, strength, and was able to hold Lucia's arms down. All of the Della Robbia kids were both athletic and artistic, the only possible advantages in these things being gained by age. Lucia was only three years younger than Mario, but she lost the battle, all the same.

"Mario wishes he had a girlfriend," Julietta jumped in, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling. All of the Della Robbias had dark brown eyes, passed down from Renata. And while all of the kids were very attractive, Julietta was easily the best-looking with her long, fully purple hair that she had received from her grandmother.

"Oh, don't you start!" Mario said, his cheeks flaring up again in embarrassment, "Besides, even a blind person could see that you like Hiroki!" He was referring to eleven-year-old Hiroki Stern, who had been named after his uncle and wasn't very shy about his feelings for Julietta.

"Yeah, but I'm not the one who's allowed to date, now am I?" Julietta shot back smugly, "I'm only eleven!" Her focus turned to her older sister. "But Lucia can finally date Waldo!" Waldo Belpois was Jeremie and Aelita's fourteen-year-old son, older than Lucia by about five months.

Lucia's eyes hardened, the temper she'd received from Renata igniting. "Jules, shut up," she whispered so Lilliana and Lauro wouldn't hear her. It was true, though, that Lucia was allowed to date because of her age of thirteen. Odd and Renata allowed them to date at that age because that was how old they were when they'd started dating, and it was only fair. But, it still brought out their overprotectiveness for their kids, Odd's being slight and Renata's being vast. However, Mario was still the object of ridicule in the romantic department because he was so shy around girls.

"Alright, simmer down, all of you," Odd said, his voice firm and fatherly but the smile on his face radiant. He never told anyone, but it was evident to Renata that he enjoyed (perhaps a little too greatly) discussing the love lives of his children. He usually boasted to them about his nickname, Casanova, and how he'd gotten it. Then he'd say things like Renata had fawned over him when they'd been at Kadic, after which Renata would give him a cold glare and claim that she wore the pants in the relationship, which, for the most part, she did.

Renata glanced at Lauro in the backseat. Lauro, the youngest Della Robbia at the age of four, sat laughing with Lilliana, his wispy blond hair sticking out at all ends. Just about anything could make the boy laugh, and in turn, he could arouse a chuckle from even the most serious of people. His laugh, bubbly and infectious, reverberated through the car. Renata shook her head, chuckling, wondering what Lucia and Lauro could have possibly been laughing so much about.

"Did Aelita call you about Anthea?" Odd asked Renata as he made a turn on the road. Anthea was Jeremie and Aelita's daughter. Both Waldo and Anthea were purely brilliant in every way imaginable, the only difference being that Waldo, with his blond hair and deep green eyes, was more interested in logic and music and Anthea, with her pink hair and watery blue eyes, was infatuated with numbers and mathematics.

"Yeah, she said they were able to make it," Renata said, smiling. Anthea had been in some sort of "tiny genius conference," as Odd put it, and had nearly missed the opportunity to visit, that day. In reality, Anthea had an optometrist appointment to adjust her glasses, but Odd preferred to stick with the tiny genius conference idea. Luckily, they'd concluded the appointment early, which meant that Lauro and Anthea would be able to play together.

"Hear that, Lauro?" Odd called to his youngest son, "Anthea's gonna be there to play!" This resulted in Lauro cheering and laughing at the same time, and the entire car erupted in laughter.

"Papà, look!" said Julietta, pointing out the window, "There's Kadic!"

Indeed, the large academy stood prestigiously over its vast lawn, shadowing the grass. It hadn't changed much since even Renata and her friends had attended, only a few different types of plants sprouted here and there, and new teachers had been hired. Renata felt the warm drops of sunrays on her face as she got out of the car, as did the rest of the Della Robbias.

"And here we are again, just like last year," Odd said, beaming. They always had a picnic with the Stern and Belpois families every summer. Lucia picked up and held Lauro in her arms, and the little boy smiled brightly.

"Look! The Sterns!" Julietta observed aloud. Said family was sitting on the grass in front of the school. At the sight of Akira, Lilliana clapped her hands eagerly and would have raced across the street if Odd hadn't been holding her back. At the sight of Hiroki, Julietta's dark eyes sparkled. At the sight of Aikawa, however, Mario's brown eyes widened and he began to fix his already perfect hair in the reflection of the car window. His family laughed at him.

"Don't want to look unkempt in front of the girl you're too chicken to ask out," Lucia remarked, situating Lauro so he was more comfortable in her arms.

"Can it, Lu," Mario hissed.

"Come on, you look fine," Lucia told him, "Don't be so nervous."

"Your sister's right," Renata agreed, beginning to walk, "Aikawa likes you just the way you are."

Mario shook his head, mentally denying the fact that Aikawa really did have romantic feelings for him, and walked across the street with Lilliana's hand in his own. The physical contact was short-lived, for as soon as her little feet hit the sidewalk of the other side of the road, she tore her hand from Mario's grasp and bolted across the grass, nearly knocking Akira over as she ran up to embrace him. Hiroki beat Julietta to the punch as he sprinted over to hug her. Mario, on the other hand, was struggling to take full footsteps as he timidly approached Aikawa. Aikawa wouldn't have that, though, so she catapulted herself into his chest. Mario simply stood there for a few seconds, stunned, before coming out of his moment of stupor and coiled his arms around the girl's waist.

"H-Hi, Aikawa," he greeted quietly, blowing some of the girl's straight, long, ebony hair from his mouth. Unlike her parents, Aikawa was rather forward with her emotions.

"Hi, Mario!" she greeted back brightly, letting go of the sixteen-year-old's upper body and taking his hand to lead him to her parents.

"Mario, I swear, if you don't ask her out by the end of this picnic, I will make fun of you for the rest of your life," Odd whispered into his son's ear.

"You already make fun of me," Mario replied, glaring at his father.

"Yeah, but now it'll concern your manhood," Odd grinned, and pushed Mario forward so he and Aikawa were in motion.

"Hiroki had us bring your favorite," Yumi told Julietta, who was disentangling herself from Hiroki's embrace.

"Japanese buns?" Julietta inquired, looking at Hiroki, "You remembered? I mentioned that last autumn!"

"Well, I remembered," Hiroki said sheepishly, rubbing the nape of his neck with his palm.

"And he made sure _we_ remembered," Ulrich said ruefully.

"Dad!" Hiroki exclaimed, scarlet tinting his pale cheeks. He looked down, and his shaggy brown hair fell across his very dark brown eyes.

"He said, and I quote, 'Mom, you have to bring Japanese buns. Jules loves the way you make them!'" Yumi remarked.

"I like them, too," Hiroki said defensively, his blush deepening.

"You _watched_ me as I made them!" Yumi all but shouted, trying to hold her smile back, "You had to make sure they were flawless! You never do that when only our family is eating!"

"Jules, don't listen to them," Hiroki instructed. He manually turned his parents around and pushed them desperately toward the Della Robbias. "Mom, Dad, why don't you go and visit with Renata and Odd?"

"So, where's the Belpois family?" Renata asked Ulrich.

"Who knows?" Ulrich remarked, "I don't know why they're always the last ones here. They live in the Hermitage, and that's as close to Kadic's campus as you can live."

"Glad to know you're gossiping about us," Aelita's voice arose from behind Ulrich. Jeremie stood next to her with Anthea in his arms and Waldo at his side.

"Only good things are being said," Odd said innocently.

"Mm hm," Aelita hummed, "It's good to see you all, though. Where's Lauro? Anthea's been whining since before her appointment about playing with him."

Right as Aelita said those words, Lauro ran into the group, tugging Lucia along with him by the end of her yellow sundress. Jeremie set Anthea on the ground, and the pink-haired four-year-old sprang toward Lauro, who led her away by the hand. That left Waldo and Lucia as the only children in the conversation.

"Hi, Lu," Waldo said, looking at the girl bashfully, "You look nice."

"Oh, thank you," Lucia said, blushing slightly as she tucked some of her light hair behind her ear. Waldo nodded.

"Well, I think now would be a good time to open a little wine, don't you think?" Jeremie said suddenly.

"That sounds like a marvelous idea," Odd agreed, "Let's have it all the way over there, in the shade, while Lucia and Waldo stay here. Alone." The teenagers mentioned in the sentence blushed.

Renata, however, didn't like the idea of her oldest daughter being left alone with a boy, no matter how much like family Waldo was.

"Ren, c'mon," Odd breathed, tugging on his wife's elbow, "She'll be fine. Waldo's not gonna hurt her." He wasn't referring to just the present moment, but all moments following after. Waldo, much like his parents, wouldn't hurt a fly, much less someone they cared about. Knowing this and taking a few deep breaths, Renata turned away from her daughter and went over to the shady area, where there was a large, checkered blanket laid out onto the ground. Jeremie, Aelita, and Odd sat there, pouring glasses of wine and talking about their college days.

"I just can't believe we kept it long distance for so long," Odd said, referring to the distance between Renata and himself when they'd attended different schools.

"Speaking of year length, can you believe that we're all still together after... how long's it been?" said Renata as she sat down, "Twenty-seven years?"

"Longer than that," Jeremie said, sipping from his own glass, "You and Ulrich were best friends before the rest of us were."

"Speaking of which..." Odd said, and he turned around, holding the bottle of white wine up for viewing, "Mr. and Mrs. Stern! Would either of you care to get wasted with us?"

"Odd!" Renata scolded, lightly hitting Odd's arm with the back of her hand as Ulrich and Yumi approached.

"The things you say, sometimes, Odd," Ulrich said, shaking his head, "You're still forty going on fourteen."

"What, you mean you don't relish the idea of getting drunk in front of your offspring?" Odd questioned. He poured two glasses of wine and handed them to Ulrich and Yumi. "C'mon, guys, sit down. Get a little tipsy." They followed the first part of his instructions and joined in on the conversation.

"Mr. Stern?" Mario said suddenly, standing over the adults.

Ulrich looked up at Mario, a confused look on his face. All of the kids called the adults who hadn't conceived them by their first names.

"Yes, Mr. Della Robbia?" Ulrich said back, a grin in his eyes.

"May I talk to you in private, sir?" the sixteen-year-old requested.

It took a moment for the question to register in Ulrich's mind before he stood up. "Alright," he said slowly, walking over to an unoccupied area with Mario following him, "What's up?"

"Mr. Stern, I was hoping that you would give me permission to ask out your daughter," Mario said nervously, wringing his hands and squinting in the sunlight.

"My permission?" Ulrich repeated, laughing, "Mario, I was going to hold you at gunpoint! Of course you have permission to date Aikawa!" He lightly punched the boy's arm, "Now go over there and ask her before one of your sisters do, because I swear, Julietta's on the verge of doing so." He took a sip from his glass. "And by the way, I have a first name."

"Thanks, Ulrich," Mario said, smiling and turning away as Ulrich went back over to the adults. He reached into his pocket, feeling the corners of the rectangular box poking his fingertips. "Um, Aikawa?"

Aikawa turned around to look at Mario. "Yes?"

"Aikawa, I was wondering if you'd, uh, ahem," Mario stared at the ground, "If you'd like to- ahem- be my g-girlfriend."

Aikawa's eyes lit up. "Of course!" she all but squealed before grasping Mario's blond hair on the back of his head and pulling (or pushing) him into a kiss. Aelita snapped a picture, getting closer to the teenagers.

Mario smiled when the kiss ended, and he drew a long, white box from his pocket before taking off its lid. "Then, will you accept this necklace?" His wide grin refused to be erased from his face.

Aikawa lifted the jewelry gingerly from its resting place and examined it. It was sterling silver, with three diamonds on it. "Gosh, Mario, it's beautiful."

"My papà gave it to my mamà for their third anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend," Mario told her, taking the necklace from her hands so he could secure it around her neck. By now, everyone had gathered the couple, and Aelita was taking pictures like crazy. At the mention of the necklace, Odd took Renata's left hand, where her wedding ring and the bracelet Odd had given to her on her fourteenth birthday resided.

"Ren," Odd whispered, and stared pointedly at Lucia and Waldo, who were gravitating toward each other. To her own surprise, Renata smiled at this.

She was smiling at other things, too. The supercomputer hadn't been turned on in decades. She was married to Odd and had five wonderful children, all of whom were happy and healthy. She'd been on an unrecorded adventure when she was younger, and now she was in the middle of another one.

All in all, the entire journey had been crazier than a circus. She would know.

**...**

**And there you have it! Jesus Christ, this thing took me six months? Time flies when you're procrastinating. Anyway, I just want to thank all of the people who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! A special shout-out goes to S.L. Della Robbia (and if FanFiction picks it up as a website, then it's S,L, Della Robbia), who received the dedication of this mediocre little story! I'm actually a bit proud of this fic, especially its epilogue. I think it came out a lot better than I'd originally thought it would. Wow, so it's over. Renata's last name isn't Staccato, anymore. She has kids. And now, this final chapter has been uploaded. Wow. Just wow.**

**Oh, and guys, just because it's the end of the story doesn't mean I don't appreciate reviews. It's kind of the opposite.**

**On that note, I bid you all farewell. Thank you, again.**


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